Abandoned,
by Shaggelmalove
Summary: Colby, Pia, Jasmine, Stan, and Stacy are real. The gang takes a few chapters to come in, but they do, no worries. Please review and enjoy :
1. Chapter 1

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy.**

Chapter One:

It was late in the night when a family of five gathered together in the broken-down hospital. A storm was raging outside and the three children of the family were all dazed, almost as if they had just woken up to be rushed out the door. One child, a girl with slightly curled hair, leaned her head against the shoulder of another, giving in to the fact that she could not force her eyes to stay open any longer. Down the hall, the two adults talk.

"Stan, you gotta listen to me, you have to take them. They're young enough where in a few years, they won't even remember my face." A tall man said. Next to him an older man shook his head slightly, looking down with his hands in his pockets.

"Peter, this is the worst thing that I have ever seen you do as my younger brother. You have an obligation as a father to those girls! When times get tough, you can't just ship them off to another family member! They're not animals Pete, they're your daughters!"

"Don't you think I know that? But listen to me Stan, this is just too dangerous now. It's putting them at risk, just like..." He stopped there and a sadness seemed to shine through the tall mans eyes for but a second. "Just like what happened with Pam."

The older man sighed and looked down the hall where three toddler-aged little girls lay, fallen asleep.  
"Look, I'll take them. But you have to know, you can never see them again." The tall man's face fell for a moment, then was replaced by a look of understanding.

"Tell them I love them. And if they ask, say I was killed oversees." He took one last look at the girls. "Take good care of them, Stan." And with that, he left.

The older man sighed and began to walk over to the children. Smiling at the way they had all fallen asleep over each other, he gently picked up the top-most one and laid her quietly into a car-seat sitting on the floor. Putting the remaining two in a stroller, he set off as well.

As he began to place the other two into their car-seats in the back of a cherry-red van, he heard the slightest movement behind him and turned to face a tired three year old girl.

"Where's Daddy?" She asked, standing in the light rain before him in nothing but the oversized shirt of her fathers that she had worn to bed and a pair of Tinkerbell shorts. Her eyes held tired worry in their emerald pools. The man picked her up and placed her in her car-seat.

"Your father just went for a drive, that's all." He lied.

"He's going to be like Mommy, isn't he. He's gonna leave and never come back..." The child looked at him with eyes that made him want to tell her everything, but at the same time, they made him want to cover up even more than he already was for his brother.

"No Colby, he's not." He said, trying not to meet the little girl's eyes. When he did look up through, he found that she had turned away, and all he could see was a small tear, snaking it's way down her cheek.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy.**

Chapter Two:

The next morning they found themselves bound on a plane to Germany. In an attempt to reconstruct the girl's lives as much as he could, Stan was taking them to a house that he had inherited when his mother died. As the plane began to descend he looked to the next row across from him and saw that the three girls had woken from the recent turbulence.

When the plane touched base at the airport, he gathered up their over-head bags and led them off. Which you know can be quite difficult with three stumbling toddlers shaking off the recent hours of sleep. Once inside and waiting for their bags, the questions began to start.

"Uncle Stan," A sleepy red-headed child yawned as she looked up at the older gentlemen, "Where are we?" He realized he had never exactly told the girls where they were going to go.

"We're at our new home, Bonn." He said calmly as he reached to grab their luggage from the conveyer belt.

"Where's Bonn?" A slightly curly-haired child asked him.

"Not in New York." Was all he said as he began to rush them out of the airport, sometimes checking over his shoulder, almost as if he might have thought they were being watched.

Over the next few years, the three learned to speak German, and were taught that their father had gone on a business trip to Japan where he had been assassinated, his body never found, and that their mother had died shortly after having the youngest, the red-headed child named Jaz. They were told they were born in Germany, yet for a reason that wasn't explained two of them had never in their lives had a German accent.

As they grew older, all but one had forgotten that rainy night and what had happened, though the memory now was faded and worn. They were 15 now, the two oldest. Twins they were, but once you got to know them and got a look up close, you'd see their differences quite clearly. One, the eldest by a minute or so, had slightly waved brown curls that reached just past her shoulders, with a tint of green added here and there, and gray-blue eyes. While the other was quite different. This one had long hair that had slight, nearly invisible waves in her oddly mixed-colored strands, and eyes that seemed to like to change their shade of green as the day wore on. The youngest was 14, she had curly red hair naturally, but liked to straighten it instead. Her eyes were dark blue. Uncle Stan had also changed as the years wore on. In place of the brown hair that he had long ago, were wisps of gray. He now wore glasses as well.

It was Saturday September 24th. Exactly twelve years since their father had disappeared off the face of the Earth. Jaz, looked over towards the window of the room she shared with her two sisters. On the seat sat Colby, staring out at the changing trees and dying grass. She sighed and walked over.

"There's a Mystery Five marathon on today. You know you want to watch it with us." She said as she sat down across from her sister. "There'll be Pepsi, and lots of sugary goodness downstairs..." When all attempts failed to get acknowledgment from Colby, she stood and grabbed Colby's arm, attempting to drag her downstairs. When the most she could move her was about an inch or so, she finally called out to Pia for help in the matter. When the eldest arrived upstairs she took the seat opposite of Colby and Jaz opted for pulling up one of their computer chairs.

"I just don't see it." Colby finally stated after a second of silence. "No one just disappears off the face of the Earth, not even the dead."

"So that's why you're all upset," Jaz concluded, "Because dad magically disappeared after he was assassinated? Col, that happened years ago, years and years and years ago. If anyone was gonna find something on him, they'd have found it."

"Well, not exactly." Pia spoke up from her position on the window-seat. "Ever heard of the Zodiac Killer?"

"I thought they eventually caught him?"

"Nope," Colby said, "They thought they had. There's really no proof and that man was caught for another reason. Besides that, they don't even know the full amount of what evidence was real, or fake. People like to play pretend."

"You make a point, maybe dad isn't missing, but there's really nothing we can do about that. If he'd wanted us to know him, he'd have stayed around. And even if he's still dead they never caught his murderer, so we'd never know who to even ask about it."

"Well, not necessarily, there are people we could ask." Pia nodded towards the floor. "Uncle Stan's never gone past saying that dad died, so maybe there is a little more to the story."

"Look, I'd rather we leave this alone. It's gotta be tough for Uncle Stan to talk about. After all, dad was his baby brother."

"Alright, let's go downstairs, we're missing the marathon!" Pia grabbed Colby's hand to lead her out the door and they all went to the colorful place they called the study, one of their favorite, and most hidden, places in the house. Inside the study, the area was huge, sometimes making them feel like they lived in a mansion. The walls were lined with plenty of bookshelves filled with books in both English and German. Although, if you really looked past the spaces in between the shelves, you'd see the small alcoves that were perfect for hiding, or sleeping, in.

Scattered throughout the room were comfortable couches and arm-chairs that were perfect for sinking into and there were three different fireplaces. Over the brick mantle of one of the fireplaces, hung a television from which they specifically used just to watch Mystery Five on. Surprisingly though, they didn't have to pay for any of this room or a few of the others. These were simply inherited with the house.

As they began to settle in on the couch facing the television directly, a thought crossed through Colby's mind. At first, she thought it was a silly idea in the first place, as she thought it through more thoroughly, she decided it was just what they needed to do.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy.**

Chapter Three:

The following morning, everything went as it normally had in the house. The girls got up grudgingly and dressed for school, Uncle Stan made everyone breakfast, and at least once Colby or Pia banged into something when they weren't paying attention. Inside Colby's mind though was whirling with the complications and fixations of her plan, and the thought of whether or not she still wanted to go through with it and involve the others.

They all finished their breakfast and the girls began their journey to the nearby school that they attended. As they passed by the park however, quite suddenly Pia had pulled them both behind a tall oak tree where they would be hidden.

"What was that for? We're going to be late!" Jaz complained slightly.

"I want to know Colby's plan and what it's for." Pia simply explained, staring her sister down.

"Am I really that bad at hiding my thoughts?" Colby avoided direct confrontation to the matter.

"Normally, yes, but not when it's super important. Now spill, if you can't trust us, then you can't trust anybody."

"Alright, but don't tell Uncle Stan, I don't think he should know if we aren't going to go through with it. Got it?"

"Got it," The others said, looking for her to continue.

"Kay, good. I want to find dad. Not because I want some fabulous long-lost relationship, and not because I think he's still alive. I want to find him to solve the mystery and hopefully explain a few broken memories. Maybe get some questions answered. To here my plan, I want to make sure you guys are in." She waited as the two of her sisters contemplated the matter given.

"I just want to know something," Jaz spoke up after a second or two of silence, " Why do you care so much? We don't even have any memories of our father or our mother. All we know are that they died and we have an uncle that watches over us. If he's not even a memory, why is he worth chasing down to you? Even if we find the body, that won't repair the fact that we're orphaned."

"I know that. I... well it's hard to explain, but something doesn't sit right inside when Uncle Stan says that he died. And our birth-certificates, doesn't it seem a bit off to you that we only own copies? Copies printed off of a computer in the library? Something just tells me there's more to all this than what's been given."

"Well, if it's that important to you, I'm in." Pia stated, stepping to stand beside her sister. "Besides, what harm could it do to take a look into our past?"

"Yes, but how are we supposed to get that look? We're not detectives." Jaz stated, still not sure of whether she wanted to be included in the plan or not.

"No, we aren't detectives, but we're related to one." Colby smiled.

"You're not saying?"

"Yes, yes I am. I think we have a way overdue visit with our cousin and his friends. But first, there's something I want to check out."

"What is it?" Pia asked, looking towards the school, "Worth skipping?"

"Completely worth skipping."

"Well?" Jaz asked a bit impatient.

"Are you in?"

Jaz sighed, but nodded and followed as they walked past the school and into town. Turns out Colby had led them to Universitäts Klinikum Bonn, the University Hospital of Bonn; where Stan had told the three they were born. As the walked inside and greeted the receptionists, they realized just how... empty the place seemed to be. Shaking it off, Colby returned her attention to the receptionist at the desk.

"How may I help you?" She asked.

"I need to know if you can give us a copy of our birth-certificates for a school feildtrip. We don't go here anymore, but we were born here and our normal hospitals under construction."

"Sure, what're your names dears?"

"Colby Marie Corrine Khaos, Pia Anna, and Jasmine Rose Leanda Schuffhausen."

"Just let me write those down, can you repeat everything after Marie?" Colby quickly repeated and the receptionists did her best to copy them down.

"That's Colby Marie Corrine Khaos with an K, Pia Anna, and Jasmine Rose Leanda Schuffhausen, S-c-h-u-f-f-haus-e-n?"

"Correct."

"Wait here one moment, I'll send this over to the pediatrics office, they should have it there." The nurse stood and left through a door someway down the hall to their right.

"You dragged us here during school hours for a copy of our birth-certificates?" Jaz asked, taking a seat on the bench.

"Well, it'll tell us if Uncle Stan has lied to us before. He said we were born here, therefore they will have a record of who was born here and when." Colby took the seat beside her and Pia joined them.

"Well we'll find out soon enough." Pia said quite neutrally. It only took about ten minutes until the receptionist came back empty handed with the exception of a clip-board.

"No birth-certificates, but if the three of you were born here, you'll be somewhere on this list." She said, handing them the list before taking back her position behind the desk. Colby flipped through the papers until she reached the Schuffhausen names. She looked down the list carefully, but none of their names were recorded, nor was their father, whom they had been told was born there as well.

"Well, if we weren't born there, where were we born?" Pia asked quietly.

"All I know is that I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore."


	4. Chapter 4

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**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy.**

Chapter Four:

As the girls walked out of the hospital, silence fell over them. Instead of walking to the school, they continued towards their home, knowing that Uncle Stan would not be home again until late afternoon. Being the last to walk up the stairs of their wooden porch and into the home, Colby closed the door quietly behind her. Immediately, five dogs and a gray tabby cat came rushing toward the door to greet them.

"Amber, Angel, Polly, Jack, Diesel, go outside!" Pia quickly exclaimed, opening the back door for them to file out. Jaz quickly grabbed the tabby to stop him from following the dogs.

"Not you, Tiger, you stay inside with Lulu, Misty and Jaws." She said, sitting the cat down on the wooden table next to the tank in which Lulu, Pia's male turtle, and Colby's two fish resided. The three walked up two flights of stairs and to the attic, where they were forbidden to go without Uncle Stan and also held all family files. Pia went to turn the handle, but the door had been locked.

"Come on, I think I know where we can find the key," PIa said, leading the three down the attic stairs and down another flight to the second floor. They walked down the hall and turned right into a small corridor. At the end was a wooden door that had been painted a light sky blue. Uncle Stan's room.

"Are you sure, Pia? You know we're not allowed in Uncle Stan's room without his permission." Jaz said a bit nervously.

"Where's your sense of adventure Jazzy? Don't you want to know what's in that box that Uncle stan keeps locked away in the attic? For all we know we aren't even his nieces."

"Pia has a point, if he lied about this, maybe he's lied before. I mean why would you need to lie about where we were born unless you had something too hide?" Colby added. She stepped forward and turned the knob to find that it too was locked.

"Hmmm, if I were Uncle Stan and I wanted to keep my spare room key hidden, where would it be..." Colby wandered over to the closet door and just as she suspected, there the key was in plain sight, directly next to the extra soap. Picking it up, she walked back to the door and turned the key inside of it. The lock clicked and the door creaked open.

Inside of the bedroom, things were looking quite normal. There was a bed, a dresser, a desk, and an open closet, but nothing to suggest he was hiding something. The three walked in and began to sift through the items on his dresser. A hairbrush, a watch he never wore, a tie that hadn't been put away, but no key.

Pia moved on to the closet and began to check inside of his shoes for the key, but turned up empty handed and began to turn out the pockets of his jackets and coats. Meanwhile Jaz began to look through the papers and objects on the desk. As she was shifting through a pile of papers that seemed to be normal working papers, something fell out between the pages and drifted to the floor below. Picking it up, she realized it was a worn and tattered picture. It was slightly ripped, almost as if someone had tried to rip it in half, but had stopped for some reason about an eighth of the way through. She turned it over to see what the picture was and immediately called over the other two sisters.

When they arrived at her side she showed them. In the picture was a tall man with dark, almost black, brunette hair that was styled somewhat in the 90's era. He wore a black tux with a crimson tie around his neck. His eyes were a dark blue color and he wore a warm, almost proud smile. The eyes seemed to sparkle and had a depth to them that made you feel as though he could see into your own eyes. His features were soft though, and he was fit, but very thin looking.

Seated beside him was a woman with hair that seemed to be mixed in whether it wanted be a golden brown or a chestnut color and fell around her shoulders and back lightly. She wore a black dress and a pearl necklace with studded earrings. She too was thin, but not out of the ordinary. In her arms she was holding a small red-headed baby no older than a few months. Meanwhile they then noticed the two small, almost toddler-aged children that were also in the picture. One being held by the tall man, and the other tugging on the woman's skirt.

Colby took the picture and turned it over. On the back she read aloud;

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"_Andrew James Smith, Pamela Marie Lyon, with twins, Pia Anna Smith, Colby Marie Corrine Khaos Smith, and new-born Jasmine Rose Leanda Smith. January 4__th_

"Uncle Stan told us mom died giving birth to Jaz, if that's really her in this picture..." Pia said in quiet shock.

"And isn't our father's name Peter Schuffhausen?"

"Uncle Stan has a lot of explaining to do, and I think it can be done in that attic." Colby took the picture and placed it in her pocket carefully. "Did anyone find the key?" The others shook their heads and Colby moved over to the dresser and began to open the bottom right drawer, but it seemed to get stuck halfway. She pushed it back in and heard the clink as a piece of metal hit against the metal slide of the drawer.

"Pia, help me pull the drawer back, I think I heard the key." Pia came over and grabbed the other handle and the two of them pulled together to no avail. Jaz came over and grabbed the handle as well and three of them pulled again. When the drawer still wouldn't give, they sat back a bit frustrated.

"Try pushing it in." A voice said from the doorway, making the three jump. They turned to face their uncle and immediately felt a twinge of shame. "Let me guess, you found something you shouldn't have, didn't you?" Colby pulled the picture from her pocket and handed it to him.

"I'm sorry, we shouldn't be in your bedroom." She said quietly. He sighed and beckoned them to follow him to the study. Once there, he made them sit on a couch opposite an armchair that he had claimed.

"Listen, I knew that one day I would have to tell you." He began. "This picture you found, yes, it is real. As far as I know, you're mother is still alive somewhere." Before any of them could speak he continued. "This doesn't mean she abandoned you. In fact, she loved the three of you with all her heart. She didn't give you up without a fight. As for your father, he never went oversees, we did. I took you girls from your home in New York at his request." At this point he opened a drawer on the coffee table and removed a photo-album, setting it on the table in front of them.

"This, was your mother's. Your father gave it to me the night that I was asked to take the three of you in, you were only three and two. Now, I've told you all that I can, the rest, will be up to you to find. Just know that there are some skeletons in our closet that are best left alone. I suggest you go through with your plan to phone in Norville, he and his friends may be of help to you. Best of luck." He stood and gathered his coat and a packed bag that looked as if it was there for years.

"You're leaving?" Jaz managed to get out.

"I'm afraid now that I've told you, they'll be after you, so the sooner I leave, the sooner they'll think you'll have left with me."

"They?" Colby asked.

"They, is for you to find out on your own, good luck." And with that, he left.

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	5. Chapter 5

_**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy.** _

_Chapter Five: _

Once they were sure they were alone, the girls locked the study door and began to flip through the photo-album. Inside were pictures of their mother with them, holding them, playing with them, catching Pia or Colby as they fell over toys and furniture. There were also photos of their parents on their wedding day and on the days the girls were born. As the photo-album reached an end, a letter was found to be tucked into a fold in the lining.

Removing it carefully, Pia read it aloud to the others.

**"My dearest girls,**  
**if you are reading this letter, know that I never meant to abandon you, that I never had a choice. Don't blame your Uncle Stanley, he was only trying to protect you from the hell that I was bound to bring into your lives. Just know that I am always with you. **

**Love,**  
**Andrew James Smith, a.k.a., Daddy"**

"I guess he wrote it as his final good-bye," Jaz said, closing the album and placing it back inside the drawer that their uncle had removed it from.

"He said we should go ahead and go through with our plan to call cousin Shaggy, how did he know that was a part of my plan in the first place?" Colby wondered aloud.

"I don't know, but I think we should call him. He and his friends can help." Pia stood and walked over to a phone on one of the desks. She picked it up and dialed the number for the American embassy.

"Yes, I need the number for my cousin, Norville Chastain Rogers," She answered into the phone. "He lives in Coolsville, Ohio." A moment of silence followed and they waited to be connected to their cousin. When they were being switched over, Pia set the phone on speaker.

**"Like, hello?"** A voice emanated from the speakers.

"Shaggy, it's Pi, I have you on speaker with Col and Jaz."

**"Hey guys! Like, what's up in Bonn?" **

"Listen Shag, we need you to gather your friends and Scooby and make a visit. It's sort of an emergency." Colby informed him quickly.

**"Like, so that's why I got a call from Uncle Stan saying he just bought me five tickets to Bonn! I'll call the gang and we'll get packing right away!"** And with that their cousin hung up, leaving them to a moment of uneasy silence between them.

"Well," Jaz said, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "What're we supposed to do now?"

"I suppose we find our father," Colby said, sitting back down on the sofa. "What else do we have?"

"We have the attic," Pia spoke up. "Maybe there is something up there after all?"

"Maybe. Come on, Uncle Stan told us we should push the drawer in further." The three were walked towards the door when the phone in the study began to ring with an unfamiliar tone. Walking over to it, Jaz picked up the reciever.

"Hello?" The voice that responded seemed to be coming from a loud-speaker as it resonated throughout the entire study.

**"Listen good girls,"** The voice was eery and spooky, almost as if they were in a horror film.** "Your uncle was better off telling you the lies he'd been saying for years, now he'll pay the price your parents did. If you want your uncle to live, you'll leave this mystery alone. True mysteries after all are better left un-solved." **The voice cut-off and the line went dead then. Jaz walked back over to her sisters and the three of them looked to each other and decided one thing. This mystery was going to be solved.

When the three had walked carefully down to their uncles bedroom, they went to the drawer and pushed it gently back, finding that it slid all the way into a compartment made to conceal it. Just as Colby had suspected there a key was. Only this key was very strange indeed. It was made in the shape of a cross, only this cross had equal-length arms. All over the key there were small pock-marks. Holding it up, they noticed a series of letters engraved onto the cross.

**'D.P.P.A.C.M.C.K.J.R.L.S.' **

"What could those mean?" Pia asked.

"I have no idea, but I want to know what these pock-marks are for." Jaz stated as she looked the key over.

"I might have an idea," Colby said, leading them back to the study and going over to one of the computers. She turned it on and made her way to Google. When she'd found what she was looking for, she beckoned the others over.

"The Swiss bank?" Pia asked confused.

"The cross, it's related to the Swiss flag."

"That's all fine and dandy, but how are we supposed to get to the bank? The nearest one is a good twenty miles from Bonn." Jaz reminded them.

"Looks like we'll have to wait for Shag then, knowing his friend Freddie, they'll bring the Mystery Machine."

"Till then, how about we stay in here? I have an uneasy feeling that other people may be watching us."

"I agree with Jazzy, we should stay in here, but what about the pets?" Pia asked, bringing up a valid point.

"Hmm, I've got an idea!" Colby walked over to the window and opened it. Looking around she spotted the five dogs sitting together in the back-yard. She whistled for their attention. "Amber, Polly, Angel, Jack, Diesel, come up to Mama!" She said, tapping the window. Immediately the smallest dog, a min-pin, jumped up and onto a large box in their back-yard.

"Oh, yea, our stair-case of boxes!" Pia exclaimed happily. The dog continued to jump up the boxes until he ran out just below the third-floor window of the study.

"Jump up boy! You can do it!" Colby coaxed, and the dog hesitantly jumped towards her. She reached out and grabbed him, rushing him into the room. "Good boy, Diesel!" She turned back towards the window. "Come on Jack, your turn!" She called to a small creme colored dog with a curled tail and Shaggy fur. The dog nervously began to jump up the boxes but became scared just one box shy of the last.

"I'm going to need to jump out onto the last box to get him, he's terrified!"

"Alright, but we're holding your ankles." Pia said stepping forward and helping as Colby lowered herself out of the window. Pia held onto her ankles with Jaz and she reached for Jack.

"Just a little lower..." Pia carefully leaned forward a bit, making Colby get just a littler lower out of the window. Colby reached and managed to grab the shaking puppy. "Pull me up, I've got him!" She said hanging on tightly to the trembling ball of fur.

Once she was safely inside of the room, she put him on the floor. The other three dogs, an Akita named Angel and two Golden Retrievers named Amber and Polly, were quite bigger in stature than the little dogs and were able to completely get into the room with little help other than the tug of the girls pulling them into the room.

"Now that that's all sorted out, what're we going to do about Tiger, Misty, Jaws, Bandit, Oliver, Lulu, and Harry?" Jaz asked, speaking of their turtle, ferrets, cat, and fish. A scratching came at the door followed by an aggravated meow at being locked out.

"Well, there's Tiger now." Colby said, going over to the study door and opening it just enough to let the angry tabby cat inside. "Now, I think we'll be fine if we lock them in here and get the others as quickly as possible. Someone needs to stay here though."

"I volunteer!" Jaz said, already trying to calm the mewing tabby.

"Alright then, Pia, come on." Colby said, taking her sisters hand. The two walked out into the hall and tip-toed to the last door on the right. They walked in quietly and closed the door behind them. They turned around and took in their surroundings. Nothing out of the ordinary. Pia walked over to a corner of the room and picked up a small pet-carrier.

"Come on, let's get the ferrets and get out of here as soon as possible, I'm creeped out enough." Colby said as she walked towards the cage in the center of the room. She opened the door on the second level of the cage and gathered three awakened ferrets from their beds and placing them inside of the pet-carrier. She grabbed their water and a bag of food as well and the two dropped them off in the study before heading ever-so-quietly down the stairs and to the first floor without incident.

They crept through the halls until they made their way into the dining room. Once there Pia carefully removed the turtle from it's tank and placed it in a box they had brought with them from the study. Meanwhile Colby removed the fish and placed them in a baggy full of water. She placed the baggy in the box and grabbed another pet-carrier from the closet.

"What's that for?" Pia asked her.

"We forgot about Mandy, Rain, and Bangles!" She said in quiet exclamation before turning to get them herself.

"But Colby!" Pia exclaimed, but it was too late, she'd gone off on her own and Pia knew that she wouldn't be able find her in those hiding places that only she seemed to know of.


	6. Chapter 6

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Six:

Pia quickly made her way back to the study and deposited the box with Lulu and the fish inside.

"Where's Colby?" Jaz asked when she noticed the missing sibling.

"She went after those three cats we rescued last year. She could be anywhere in the house." Pia quickly explained as she dumped the fish into the tank in the study, placing Lulu inside as well. "She ran off before I could stop her from going alone."

"We have to go after her!"

"Only one of can go, the other has to stay here with the key and the pets."

"But it's dangerous to go alone! You know we're probably being watched just for that reason!"

"I know, but if one of doesn't find her, they will. Stay here, I'll be back." Pia ran out the door before Jaz could follow.

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Colby carefully walked through the halls, calling out softly for the cats. As she inched her way beneath a couch in the basement, she saw one. Bangles.

"Come here Bangles, be a good Mama Kitty..." She reached out but the cat hissed and backed against the wall further behind the couch. "Oh, come on Bangles! Don't you wanna be with Tiger? Your baby?" Colby made another attempt at grabbing the cat, inching further beneath the couch herself. Just as she managed to grab the cat, she felt a pair of gloved hands enclose around her ankles, dragging her from beneath the couch with the struggling cat.

The hands reached over and took the cat, placing it inside the carrier. Colby rolled over onto her back to face whomever had dragged her out. Before she had the time to take in the features of the woman standing above her, a cloth of chloroform was placed softly over her mouth and Colby went into a hazy sleep of unconsciousness.

* * *

Pia walked carefully down the stairs to their bedroom, opening the door silently. She swept her eyes over the room, but the only living thing there was Rain, a fat tom-cat lying on Jaz's blue bed-spread. Pia rolled her eyes and walked over to him, attaching the dog leash that hung from her bed-post to the cat's collar.

"Come on Garfield, let's find Odie." She walked out of the room with the cat in tow and continued her way down to the kitchen where she saw the other object of Colby's search. Mandy. The fluffy black cat was sitting on the window-sill, bathing herself in the afternoon sun-light. Walking over to her she picked Mandy up and noticed that she had been sitting on an unopened envelope

Switching Mandy's weight into one arm, Pia picked up the envelope and put it in her pocket before returning to the study. She placed Mandy down with the other two cats and noticed that Bangles had somehow made it up here as well. Without Colby.

"Jaz, how did Bangles get up here?"

"I heard someone knock on the door and assumed it was Colby, when I opened it Bangles was in her carrier. I just thought that maybe Colby made a drop-off." She said as she held up an envelope. "Until I found this taped to the side of it. There's no address, but it's freshly sealed."

"Funny," Pia said as she too held up the envelope she had found in the kitchen. "Me too."

"Should we open them?"

"I don't think we have much choice," Pia sat down next to Jaz and opened her envelope first. Inside were three pictures and a paragraph of mixed writing. Pia picked up the first picture and looked it over. It showed a group of twelve people huddling together and smiling as the picture was being taken. A red X had been drawn over some of the peoples faces as if marking them out of the picture. Only four people were left unmarked. The second picture was of children. Six girls, and six boys. Chillingly the two noticed that an ex had been drawn over each of their faces. The last picture was that of a family. A man and woman seated with five children. All with X's. Except for the man.

Lastly, the girls looked at the paragraph. It looked as it someone had written over another's words with a separate language, so the set it aside and opened Jaz's envelope. Inside was another three pictures and a dagger, rusted and worn. Setting the dagger far off to the side, they spread the three pictures on the ground beneath the other three. As they looked at each picture they bone-chillingly recognized themselves in old school photos. And Colby's had a red X.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Seven:

Colby awoke with a pounding head and dizzy sight. She had no idea how much time had passed or where she was now, but she desperately wished for a pain-killer. She stumbled to her feet from where she was sure she was lying on the floor and immediately lost balance and began to fall face-first the the ground. An arm swiftly stopped her from hitting the stone and sat her down on a wooden chair.

"Easy now girlie," A woman's voice echoed in her ear. She couldn't tell if it was the effects of the chloroform, but she was sure she heard a Scottish accent laced inside of the voice. "We wouldn't want to injure ourselves, now would we?"

"Where am I?" Colby asked, her words slightly slurred with the effort to speak over the dizziness and nauseating headache that wracked her body. "What happened?"

"With the headache I'm sure you've got, you don't want to know." The woman's voice said to Colby's right. "You hit your head pretty hard darlin'. Here, drink this, it'll clear your head." The woman placed a warm mug in her hands and Colby pressed it to her lips, desperate to be-rid herself of the pounding headache. She was surprised to find it was nothing more than chamomile tea. As she drank it and allowed the steam to warm her face, she found her headache dissipating.

"Better?" The woman asked as she removed the mug from her hands.

"Much, thank you." Colby said as her eye-sight began to better itself as well now that her headache had gone. She turned to face an auburn haired woman that was easily in her thirties. She had a face that strongly resembled that of one that Colby could not quite place. Her eyes were hidden by a pair of dark sunglasses and her hands bore leather gloves. Tied around her waist was a trench-coat.

"Now to answer your previous questions, you're in Base 256 under the Bast operation. You were drugged by another member an brought here for protection."

"Bast? As in the cat-goddess Bast?"

"Nice to see someone's brushed up on her history. Yes, this base is honored by Bast."

"Honored?" Colby asked confused. "Aren't they mythical for a reason? They're not real?"

"In time you will know, but for now, yes, they are not real." The woman's voice was clearer now that Colby's head had been cleared of the chloroform. It wasn't Scottish at all, rather American. "When the time is right, you will know who I am, until then, I'm only assigned to give you this." The woman reached into her sweater pocket and handed Colby something that made her smile despite her captivity in 256.

"It's a cryptex, isn't it?"

"I figured you might have known. Da Vinci Code? Or Leonardo?"

"A little of both." Colby said as she looked the small cylinder over. Before she could ask another question a hand came up from behind and once more chloroform filled her lungs.

__


	8. Chapter 8

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Eight:

The next moment Colby was conscious, was well after midnight. Her head was once more pounding and she felt as if she might have what is known in some cultures as a 'reversal of fortune.' This time her hands were bound and a cloth had been tied around her mouth. Her ankles were tied to the legs of dining chair. Her eye-sight had not gone blurry like last time, but still had a hazy edge around her field of vision.

As she looked around the room she saw that she was alone and the cryptex was no longer with her. Her headache worsened as the door opened loudly and thundering footsteps echoed across the stone floors.  
A man materialized in front of her and yanked the cloth from her mouth roughly. For a moment they seemed to simply study each other, taking each others appearances.

"Surprised, they told me you were the talkative type. Can't keep your mouth shut they say." He finally broke the silence. "Listen. Don't trust a word that agent said, you weren't brought there for protection. You were brought there to solve their little game. Your nothing more than another pawn in their world."  
"Why did you take me then?" Colby challenged him. "I'm just as much a prisoner here in these bonds as I was in that cell. If you really want me out of their games, why not let me go home to my sisters?" The man took a moment to laugh inwardly and shook his head.

"Listen kid, you're new to this, you don't even have a clue as to what's going on. Your uncle, your parents, they've fed you so many lies I doubt you know who you are."

"I'm Colby Marie Corrine Khaos Smith," Colby retaliated. "That's who I am."

"Ah, but that's all you know, isn't it?" The man countered. "Where were you born huh?" When a moment of silence passed he continued. "Oh, you don't know? How about this, did you know you've got another sister out there? How about that your parents are still alive? You know nothing but your name, kid."

"I have another sister?" Colby asked bewildered.

"Stacy Lynn Smith, lives in NY. She was born the year your mother disappeared and you were told she'd died."

"Why wasn't she sent to our uncle? Wasn't she in the same danger Uncle Stan said we were?"

"She would be, if they knew she existed."

* * *

"Pia, you don't think this means?" Jaz asked worriedly of the red X over their sister's face.

"I don't know." Was all Pia could say. As they sat in silence Pia noticed something underneath the envelope. Another picture. She moved it over and they saw a girl about their age. Flipping it to the back she saw the only words they could read on any of them.

_'Stacy Lynn Smith'_

__


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Nine: All that we have left,

"You don't think that she could be related to us, do you?" Jaz asked as they poured over the photograph of the young girl. She had light brunette hair, with a twinge of blond growing here and there. That reached down to here shoulders in a straight format, but curled towards the very ends. She was smiling at the photographer awkwardly as she kept her eyes focused on something in the background that they couldn't see. Her eyes were a light brown, with specks of a lighter color here and there throughout.

"It's possible, after all that we found out today, we might as well get another sister out of it," Pia replied as she kept her eyes more focused on the red X through Colby's school picture. "We're going after her, you know that right?" Jaz silently shook her head.

"We have no idea where she is Pi, I know it sounds terrible, but I don't think there's a thing we can do for her."

"That's where you're wrong." Pia stood and picked up a framed photograph from an end-able in the room. "We still have someone left on our side." She turned the picture in her hands to show Jaz. Depicted there was a picture from the past summer, when their cousin Shaggy had come to visit them with his long-time pal, a pup named Scooby Doo. "He's due for a favor and Uncle Stan knew that when he ordered their plane tickets over here."

"I doubt a gang of teenage sleuths can help us now."

"No, they can't. But the best gang of teenage sleuths on the face of the Earth can."

"You know, you and Colby are the most stubborn people I have ever met in my entire life?" Jaz laughed as she stood from her seat on the study floor.

"I'll take that as a compliment." Pia smiled before setting the picture down. "We have to get her back, we're all we've got left, the three of us." She silently whispered.

* * *

Meanwhile in America, unbeknownst to her, a thirteen year old girl awoke in her bedroom to a quite... different day. As she went through her normal routines; get up, get dressed, brush teeth, eat, she felt the odd feeling of being watched. Just when that feeling was getting stronger on her, she heard a call from the floor below her.

"Stacy Lynn Misso! Get down here, you're going to miss your bus!"

"Coming mom!" She called and quickly grabbed her back-pack. She raced down the stairs and out the door. As she was running up the street to catch her bus, arm arm reached out and grabbed her, covering her scream and pulling her to the side. A cloth of chloroform was quickly placed over her nose and mouth and she soon passed out.

When she woke, she was in a stone room and her head was beginning to spin with the dizzying effects of nausea took over. She noticed that her clothing had been replaced with a plain gray shirt and draw-string pants. She attempted to stand, but immediately blacked out once more with the effort. By the second time she woke, there was a woman in the room with her.

"Done knocking yourself out, hon?" She asked her, offering her a mug of warm liquid. "Drink it, it'll make your head feel better dear." Reluctantly, Stacy drank it. Almost immediately, her head began to clear and the nausea to sub-side.

"Thank you, but where am I? And why was I taken here?"

"You were taken here for your safety sweetheart," The woman's image became clearer and Stacy saw that she had auburn hair and was nearly middle-aged. She wore dark sunglasses and a trench coat over her small form.

"My safety?"

"Yes, you are quite the important... asset to a plan of ours. So you can just relax, nothing will happen to you if you comply with our rules of staying here in base 256. Have a nice sleep dear. You're all that we have left." Stacy was confused until the familiar sweet scent of chloroform filled her lungs once more and she was again unconscious.

* * *

Norville Rogers was rushing she finish getting his bags packed when the familiar crunch of gravel was heard from his driveway below. Throwing the last item in, he sealed it and called out for Scooby Doo, who came running down the hall with his own luggage. They raced out of the house together and jumped into the back of the Mystery Machine where the rest of the gang's luggage greeted him.

"Ready to go Shag?" Fred called from the front seat.

"Like, all cannons a-go Fred!" At that, they began their drive to the airport. After about a minute or so, Velma climbed into the back to join them, sitting on the carpet of the van.

"Are you worried about them?" She asked as she inched next to Shaggy.

"Yea, a lot actually." He quietly admitted. "I tried calling them, but the line was dead. I tried texting them, but the messages wouldn't go through. It's like, just not like them to not answer." He sighed. "I am worried Vel." She leaned her head on his shoulder and he sighed.

"Look Shaggy, I'm going to make you a promise. We will help them. When was the last time you heard from your uncle?"

"When he sent these tickets in the mail. He said there was like a family emergency that involved some long-lost family secret. It was my job to protect them, he said I was like, all they had left Vel. All they had left..."


	10. Chapter 10

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Ten:

When they arrived at the airport, Shaggy practically ran straight through check in and security. It was only when he'd reached their gate ten minutes early, did he realize he'd left the rest of the gang far behind him. When they caught up to him he smiled sheepishly and apologized for running.

**"Women and children may begin to board flight 2557 at gate 13. Repeat, women and children may begin to board the flight."**"Looks that's us gang." Fred said as he stepped forward to show the flight attendant their wristbands that indicated they were unaccompanied minors. They were granted access and boarded the plane, taking their seats in row E, seats one through five.

A couple of hours later in the flight, Velma looked over to Shaggy. He hadn't slept when the rest had and his eyes were blank and distant with a fear she had not seen in him before. The fear that he may be losing some of his only family left on his mother's side. She reached a gentle hand over and gave his knee a gentle squeeze. He looked over and gave a half-hearted smile.

"I'm sure they're fine, Shaggy. It's probably not that bad," She tried to reassure him without success.

"I know them Vel. As strong as the three of them may be, there are things that they don't know. Things that even my own mother kept hidden from me until only recently. This could be so serious Vel, you have no idea." He buried his head in his hands and tugged at his sandy-blond hair in sad frustration of not knowing what was going on with his closest relatives he had.

"I'm sorry Shaggy, but you're right, I don't have any idea." She lifted his head from his hands and held it in hers as she looked him in the eye. "But I can." He smiled and kissed her on the cheek.

"You should like, go to sleep like the others. I'll be fine. Promise."

"Promise you're going to stop worrying yourself to death?"

"I can't promise that Vel, and you know I can't."

When the plane touched down in the Düsseldorf International Airport, the gang walked off the aircraft and into the airport itself. It was almost ten hours later. They had left around ten in the morning, on September twenty-fifth when it_ w_as around six in the evening his cousins time. Now it was around four in the morning where they had landed. They called for a cab and asked that he drive them to Bonn where they would pick up the Mystery Machine and take it from there.

It was only about a thirty minute drive until they were in the Mystery Machine and Fred had, very badly, thanked the mechanics who had agreed to take their van, in German using an English to German dictionary.. The men looked very confused as the van pulled away.

"Ich vielen dank für ihre gütige Feindschaft beim Nehmen unsere Pfanne?" Asked one to the other, as if making sure that's what he heard.

"Kinder heutzutage, kann kein ding verstehen, dass sie sagen." The other said as he returned to his work.

When they arrived at the house Shaggy let them in and began to walk up to the study, knowing it's they're favorite place in the house. When he opened the door he was immediately kicked in the face by a converse covered foot. He fell backwards and lifted a hand to his nose from his position on the hallway floor. Yupp, he had a bloody nose to answer to.

"Whoops, sorry Shaggy..." A voice said from the doorway. He looked up and saw Pia standing before him with a guilty on her face and a pair of blue converse on her feet, the right one spotted with his lost nose blood.

"Like, it's cool, but what was that for?" He asked as Fred helped him to his feet.

"We're a little bit... paranoid you could say. There's a lot that's happened since we called you. A lot a lot." She stepped aside and ushered the gang inside quickly before any of the animals could escape the room. Shaggy did a quick sweep of the room and noticed just how many of their pets were in here with them, and just how little people.

"Where are Uncle Stan, and Colby?" He turned to Pia when he noticed Jaz asleep next to one of the fireplaces, a light fire dancing on the logs behind the grate. When he got his first good look at her since he arrived, he knew he'd asked a bad question. Pia's eyes betrayed tiredness and she looked like she hadn't slept the whole night through. Knowing his cousins, Pia and Colby only really slept about three-five hours a night anyway, so there was no way Pia could be running on that much sleep from the previous nights.

"Are you alright?" He asked and she turned slightly away from him.

"I'm fine. Don't wake up Jaz. You know she loves sleeping."

"Is there somewhere else to talk?"

"This is the only room where we think we're safe in. And there's still plenty of doubts about it being that safe..."

"Like, what d'you mean, Pi?" He asked, now more worried than ever before for his cousins safety and well being.

"They-They took her." Even though he couldn't see her face, he knew nearly invisible tears were finally coming down her cheeks. He decided not to breech the subject further until Jaz was awake. He looked around the room and saw Velma thumbing through a stack of pictures next to two opened envelopes.

"Like, what d'you have Velms?" He walked over to her, followed by Fred, Daphne, and Scooby. They all crowded around the pictures until Velma held up just one to show Shaggy. Colby's red X.


	11. Chapter 11

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Eleven:

"So you're saying my mother didn't even know that she had a baby?" Colby was skeptical now.

"No, when she had to leave she had just gotten pregnant. Then she went through a phase where she'd knock herself out for hours pulling the chords they kept in her to place drugs in her system. It's a wonder the kid survived." The man got up and went to a desk in the corner of the room. From it, he pulled a dagger and an envelope. He walked back over to Colby and began to saw through the bonds.

"Why are you letting me go?"

"What you don't know, is you're still in the base. This file here, it's yours." He said, holding up the manilla envelope. "I'm letting you go to make a decision. Follow me, make it out mostly alive. Don't, and stay here for all eternity as a chess piece." Colby stood once her bonds were removed and nodded her answer. He took a handgun from the inside of his pocket and handed it to her, taking another for himself. "You gotta be ready to shoot for it kid. The less of them there are, the better we are."

She nodded silently and he opened the door with his access key. He looked down the length of the hall before stepping out on his own, barring Colby with his arm for a moment. In a second a blaring alarm system rang off of the steel walls, causing Colby to cringe with her headache. That's when he grabbed her and pulled her along down the hall. They managed it make it down and around the corner when they became surrounded.

The man roughly grabbed Colby and placed his gun to her head, removing her gun from her hand. He held her this way until they lowered their guns. He began to back away from the troop of soldiers slowly as he proceeded down the hall. When they reached the next corner, he pushed her down the next hall and shot only five bullets at twenty guards, taking them all down.

* * *

Shaggy had finally convinced Pia to try to get some rest at five in the morning. Around then Jaz had woken up to find them there and was explained about the bloody bandage on Shaggy's nose. The six of them sat down, Scooby included, on the couch facing the lit fire-place. The flames now slowly flickering into their last dance as they began to die out. Velma reached into her back-pack and produced a notebook and pen. They looked towards Pia to make sure if she was feigning sleep or not on the sofa opposite them.

When they were convinced she was truly asleep, the note-taking began. Jaz told them all about how their uncle had told them a bit of their past before leaving, how they had the unnerving feeling of being watched, and how they were right, and finally explained to them the circumstances under which their sister had disappeared and the envelopes they had found and their contents.

"So neither of you saw the assailant?" Velma asked as she finished the last of her notes.

"No, Colby ran off on her own."

"Can you tell me your father's name? What you know of it for sure?"

"Andrew, Andrew Smith."

"Shaggy," Velma turned towards him. "What's your mother's name again?"

"Mary Rogers." He responded casually.

"Her maiden name?"

"Mary O'Neil."

"Hmm, I think I've heard those names before." Velma gained an inquisitive look as she said this.

"Well yea Vel, you've been around Shag for years!" Fred tried to remind her. "You've probably heard them millions of times."

"I know, but I think I've read them somewhere." She stood and walked across the study and retrieved her computer bag. When she got back, she went to a section of her favorites on her internet marked secret societies. She thumbed through the links until she came across one marked 'Η priory της Καρυών.'

"The Priory of Karyon," Velma explained. She clicked on one of the tabs beneath the Priory's name and scrolled down a long list of confirmed members until she reached a single name, 'Smith.' She began to read the page aloud.

"The Smith family has been a key focus of this priory, often becoming the heads or leaders. While they are the hardest to track down of the many confirmed members, here is a list of confirmed leaders and members belonging to the Smith family:

1. Maggie Smith (1418-1439)  
2. Gregory Smith (1522-1567)  
3. Jeremiah and Isabelle Smith (1568-1609)  
4. Elizabeth Smith (1698-1701)  
5. Damion Ricardo Smith (1768-1769)  
6. Henry James Smith (1809-1832)  
7. Karen Darling Smith (1902-1906)  
8. Mary Anne and Lucas Smith (1907-1924)  
9. Sharon O'Neil and Jeremy Smith (1956-1987)  
10. Andrew J. Smith and Pamela Marie Lyon Smith (1988-Unknown)

Below is a link to the most current members of the Smith family known to be in existence." Velma clicked the link and it led them to another website and a list of names. Again, she read aloud.

"Compiled below is a list of all known recent members of the Smith family of the Priory of Karyon:

Andrew J Smith  
Pamela Marie Lyon Smith  
Peter Smith  
Corrine Smith  
Kayla Anna Smith  
Lucille Smith  
Pia Anna Smith  
Colby M. C. K. Smith  
Jasmine R. L. Smith  
Stacy L. Smith

Unbeknownst to most of the Priory and the world, is the mysterious deaths of many of the above persons, as well as the name change of Lucille Smith to Mary O'Niel and then to Mary Rogers as she settled and had children in Ohio state." Velma finished reading and Shaggy's face betrayed great confusion.

"Like, why would my mom need to change her name?" He asked.

"I don't know, but maybe it has something to do with this key." Jaz said as she lifted a chain from beneath her shirt upon which hung the odd cross-shaped key. Velma took a good look at it once Jaz had handed it to her.

"D.P.P.A.C.M.C.K.J.R.L.S." She read aloud. "Do you know what those stand for?"

"We think it might stand for our names, and an old nick-name our uncle used to call us. 'Die Prinzessinnen Pia Anna, Colby Marie, and Jasmine Rose. He never used our full names."

"Hmmm, maybe, but maybe we should do a little research first."

"Like, what kind of research Vel?" Shaggy asked.

"The kind done at the Swiss International Bank."


	12. Chapter 12

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Twelve:

"Are you sure? It's a good hour away from here to the Swiss International Bank." Pia informed them after she had been awoken to join them on the venture.

"It's no problem," Fred said as they all walked down the drive, "The Mystery Machine will get us there in no time!"

"Like, no time is right Fred!" Shaggy yelled from the passenger side window. "We're all out of gas!" Fred allowed a pout to appear on his face for a moment.

"We can take one of the trains out into the city, the bank is in Duesseldorf after all." Jazz offered. "And the station's only a few blocks away."

"Yea, but we have no money to use on the train." Pia reminded her.

"Like, it's cool, I'll pay your way." Shaggy offered beginning to lead the way down the side-walk. Until that is, he remembered something important. "Like, anyone know the way to the Swiss International Bank?"

Pia smiled and shook her head slightly before leading the way in the opposite direction.

"Like, I was just testing!" He yelled as he ran after them.

* * *

The next moment that Stacy was awake, a loud firing of gun-shots erupted from the hall, punishing her eardrums. She sat up groggily and rubbed at her eyes furiously, trying to remove the glowing haze around her vision that made everything spin in odd directions. When the haze had only worsened from her rubbing, she gave up and tried standing. She stumbled and her mind erupted in pain from a newly discovered migraine. The door to the room banged open and she heard rushed footsteps and the scraping of metal as the only chair in the room was lodged underneath the door-knob.

Her vision was slowly clearing and she could see the silhouette of a young girl talking to a tall man. They were whispering rapidly to each other. She'd backed herself in the corner of the room when the girl had gasped and turned towards her. Now that her vision had cleared enough to separate the haze of colors around her, she noticed that the girl was not the one from before and was now stepping towards her lightly with a cup of steaming something in her hand from the counter.

"Here, drink this." She said quietly, handing the mug to Stacy. "Trust me, it'll help." Stacy took a sniff of the contents. Tea. She took a reluctant sip and felt slightly better, causing her to gulp it down quickly. Her pain and dizziness almost immediately subdued.

"Can you tell me something?" The girl asked. Stacy nodded. "Are you Stacy Lynne Smith?"

"My name is Stacy Lynne, but no Smith, sorry." The girl in front of her was looking at her almost disbelievingly. She looked like she was forming another question when the man stepped over.

"Sorry to break up this little reunion you got going on here, but that chair won't hold forever and we need an escape route." The girl nodded and began looking around.

"The vent!" She said, pointing to the narrow passage above the counters.

"I think it's just big enough, come on kiddo." The man took Stacy's hand and led her to the counter. "Climb up and tear off the ventilation cover, it's more important you get out first. Crawl through a few feet and wait for us to climb in after you. Got it kid?" Stacy nodded shakily as she heard more gun-shots aimed at their door. The man handed her a screw-driver. She climbed on top of the counter and began to unscrew the bolts on the vent cover. She lifted it off as the screws fell to the floor.


	13. Chapter 13

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Thirteen:

Colby's adrenaline was pumping now as she stood, almost shaking, in the familiar white room. She looked up at the girl who was supposedly her sister and at the manilla envelope in her hands. She had no idea how she had gotten into this situation or why, but she had every intention of finding out and making it back to what little family she was sure she had left in the world, her cousin, and her sisters. Refocusing on Stacy, she saw that she had crawled inside of the vent and into a slightly bigger turn-off, waiting for the others to crawl in. Her face betrayed fear and uncertainty. She also betrayed something else, a family resemblance.

"Colby," The man's voice called her attention towards him. "Get in the vent now!" Colby nodded and jumped on the counter, pulling herself up into the vent and next to Stacy. When the man didn't make a move towards the vent she called out.

"Get in the vent!"

"No," He called back, "Just go straight until you see a blue vent! I'll have an agent meet you there!"

"But-"

"No buts, someone has to stay here to face the gunman! Now go!"

Colby nodded reluctantly and tossed him her gun. "Keep it, I have my own methods." The man smiled and Colby told Stacy to follow her and she returned to the main vent and began to crawl her way forward.

Several train tickets and an hour later, the gang, plus a few, were walking down the streets of Duesseldorf. It wasn't hard to spot the Swiss Bank. It was a giant square building that was painted a dull gray. In neon lights that were shut off for the day, was a giant red, equal-armed cross. Taking a deep breath, Pia stepped through the glass double-doors first. Inside, the bank seemed normal. It had white marble floors and red ropes that separated one area from the next. On the walls hung various paintings of the Swiss mountaintops and landscapes, all dominated by white snow.

There was only one person present in the bank. An elderly man with big, sixties styled, black-rimmed glasses were perched on his nose and only a few strands dared to survive on his head, sat at the counter. When they arrived up there, he looked them all up and down suspiscously.

"Key please." He demanded in a gruff voice. Jaz dug the key out of her pocket and handed it to him. Immediately the man looked at them as if they were murderous villains.

"How did you get this key!" He demanded, standing now. He grabbed Pia by the shirt and began to shake her. "How did you get this key!"

"Hey!" Shaggy yelled, stepping forward and pushing the old man back. "Like, keep your hands off of my baby cousin!"

"Yea!" Jaz yelled, helping Pia to her feet after she had fallen. "Anyway, we got the key from our uncle, Stanley Smith!" The old man's face fell.

"You, you're Andy's kids..." His face fell and he motioned them slowly to follow him. He led them down several hallways behind a back door before arriving in a room with a conveyer belt. Sticking the key in a slot-like hole, he pressed it in all the way and typed in a pin number. Afterward, he left the room entirely. A moment later, a single box rolled out onto the conveyer belt.


	14. Chapter 14

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Fourteen:

Fred took his keys from his pocket and threw it at the box, ducking afterward. When no explosion came, he stood and gave the a-OK signal, making Pia and Jaz laugh inwardly. Velma stepped towards the box and opened the plastic lid carefully. Inside was nothing more than a rolled up piece of parchment, a big sealed envelope, and several objects of various values. As they Velma was taking note of each item in her notebook, Shaggy noticed something important; the door was locked.

"I'm sorry," A voice sounded over the intercom, "But I have no choice. You will remain in there until a member can escort you out."

Colby crawled through the vents as instructed for several minutes. Behind her, Stacy was clanking along as well. Eventually, they stopped in a side-vent to rest. When they were sure no one could here them, they talked in hushed whispers.

"Who are you?" Stacy asked. Colby thought about how to answer.

"Colby. Colby Marie Corrine Khaos Smith."

"Are you a member or whatever?"

"No, I was kidnapped and brought here, same as you. My turn for questions, were you adopted?"

"Yes, by the DiCenso family. My family. All I know is that my mother and father-"

"Died?" Colby guessed.

"Yes... How did you know?"

"Because they're my parents too."

* * *

Inside the metal room of the bank, an investigation was underway. There was no way to escape, so they might as well pour over the evidence and clues thrown their way. Pia picked up the envelope first. She noticed that D.P.P.A.C.M.C.K.J.R.L.S was once again printed there. Opening it, she poured out it's contents on the floor. 39 pictures spilled out. All with writing on the back.

"Damion Andrews," Pia began to read out, "Pamela Lyon, Peter Smith, Andrew Smith, Carmella Carron, Marianna Lopez, Corrine Smith, Kayla Smith, Jareth Cawthorn, Rafael Ricardo, Lucille Smith, and Salazare Carrows. Those are all the names of the people in this picture." She said, holding up the first one, that was identical to the one that featured the same twelve people that was crumpled up in Jaz's pocket.

"D.P.P.A.C.M.C.K.J.R.L.S..." Velma whispered to herself. "They form the initials D.P.P.A.C.M.C.K.J.R.L.S!"

"Read the the back of that one," Fred said, pointing at the picture of a young man, easily Italian or Greek in color.

"Damion Andrews, killed in a car 'Accident.'" Pia picked up the next few, reading them off. "Carmella Carron, poisoned by a red rose placed in her bedroom at midnight. Jareth Cawthorn, said to have 'fallen' from the roof of his apartment building. Rafael Ricardo, found floating dead in Canyon River, Nebraska. Corrine Smith, murdered, stabbed 100 times in the chest over the heart and lungs." Jaz read the rest.

"Kayla Smith, shot in the head through her dining room window. Marianna Lopez, died of mysterious gas-leak in her home in southern Maxico. Salazare Carrows, went missing, body never found, possibly still alive?" Shaggy read the next few. Only 30 left.

"Like, Lucille Smith, survived, lives in Coolsville, Ohio with husband and two children. Changed name to Mary O'Niel. Pamela Lyon Smith, in hiding, said to have died in childbirth. Andrew Smith, agent in hiding, believed to have been assassinated overseas. Peter Smith, assassinated." He picked up a picture of a group of children and flipped it to the back. Velma was still taking notes.

"Children, left-to-right:  
Karyon's children:

Stanley Smith's children:

Veronica May  
Hazel Anne  
Skyler Lynn  
Sharon Marie  
Jean Jacques

Damion's child:

Roger James

Carmella's children:

Benita "Benny"  
Karianna Lynn  
Matthew Rikki

Rafael's child:

Enrique

Jareth's children:

Tobias  
Carther

"Shaggy," Jaz said shakily, "Count the number of kids please."

"Like, alright." Shaggy took a moment to count. "twelve."


	15. Chapter 15

**AN: The four individuals named Colby, Stan, Pia, and Jaz, are real. I only own the story plot. So yea, enjoy. **

Chapter Fifteen:

Jaz's face fell as she dug out the crumpled picture of the twelve children that matched the one that Shaggy held as well.

"Uncle Stan lost his kids," Pia said in disbelief. "He always told us he never had any..."

"There are 39 pictures here. Which means there are 39 clues. We've just read off fourteen of them, am I right?" Velma relayed the last bit of her notes. They all nodded. "What's left?"

"Crime scene photos of their deaths it looks like," Daphne said, holding up a picture a lone body floating in a pool of water.

"That's only 26, are there any of the children's death?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

"37 then. What are the last two?" Velma said as she brushed the gore filled photos aside.

"Looks like just a last group picture of everyone and a picture of a woman in a hospital bed."

"Hand me the one with the woman." Daphne obliged and handed Velma the photo. She flipped it to the back and read aloud. "Pam Lyon, 11/27/1996, hospitalized after last birth of new daughter."

"New daughter?" Daphne asked. "You mean Jaz?"

"No, she means Stacy." Jaz told her calmly. "Our mom had another kid."

"Anyway, let's move on," Pia said quickly. "What's-" The door creaked open, interrupting Pia mid-sentence.

* * *

A moment of silence followed after Colby's statement. Stacy looked like many questions were trying to burst out of her at once, and as for Colby, she simply crawled out and kept moving onwards to their destination at the end of the vent system. Stacy was following her quietly when they saw the light the man had told them about. Around the corner was a chute that most likely led down to a laundry room oddly enough. They could see a face watching for them towards the bottom. He signaled for them to slide down after he had proved that the man had sent him by holding up the letter for them to see.

Colby inched her way along the chute and let herself fall down and into a basket of white robes. The man told her to hide beneath them, and she did. Stacy lid down afterward, narrowly missing Colby in her landing beside her. The man held a finger to his lips to signal they should be silent and they burrowed themselves as deep in the cloth as they could. They felt the movement of the cart as they were being pushed along. For minutes upon bated minutes, nothing happened. That is until they were stopped.

A guard questioned the man. When he was not so convinced the cart was only dirty laundry, he began to poke through it with his staff. He hit Colby on the head and she heard him chuckle as he tipped the cart over and the two girls poured out. Colby rubbed her head and found herself staring at a burly man with odd white hair. He pulled her up by the arm and turned her with him to reface the man.

"You call this nothing?" He asked and the man began to cower backwards.

"Can I say one thing before you tell everyone I'm still in the building?" Colby asked and the guard turned back to her.

"What?"

"S.I.N.G." Colby smiled and then made a swift jab of her elbow into his stomach, stomp to the foot, punch to the nose and kick to the groin. "Solar plexus, instep, nose, and groin."

"S.I.N.G," Stacy laughed as she stood and the guard fell to the floor after the other man stepped in and finished the job enough to make the guard groan in pain. "Where did you learn that?"

"S.I.N.G? My- our sister taught it to me after I was practically being stalked by a guy named Patrick. She beat the hell out of him with her self-defense moves. Never went near me again."

"She sounds nice,"

"She is, you'll like her." Colby smiled and began walking with the other man, Stacy coming up with them.


	16. Chapter 16

**AN: I'm so sorry guys, but I've been sick for the past few weeks and have had so much homework, it made it impossible to be able to update the story any sooner than now. With that said, we all know that my life's ambition of owning the gang is crushed by WB and HB, so let's not relive it, kay?  
Athena: Look, we're back!  
Arya: Look, I'm not angry at Colby or Ajihad anymore!  
Annabeth: You should review : D**Chapter Sixteen:

The unexpected creak of the door opening had caused Scooby to jump in panic and knock both Shaggy, and Pia to the marble floor, Shaggy's nose bleeding again. Behind them, Scooby trembled and hid. Fred stood up and made himself look as official as he possibly could. When a woman with soft burgundy hair and saphire eyes walked in however, all the air that he had sucked into his chest came rushing out and he was left just gawking at her. She smiled and hid a laugh, though upon seeing Pia and Jaz, stopped immediately. Something flashed through her eyes quickly enough not to be noticed by the teenagers, though Pia saw it quite clearly; the emotion was immense sadness.

The woman walked further into the room and had eight chairs brought in by cloaked men, or women, they really couldn't tell. She closed the door behind them and arranged the chairs to sit so that seven were all turned to face one, almost like and incomplete smiley-face Pia mused. The woman removed her beige trench coat to reveal a purple sweater, and around her neck, a necklace that looked achingly familiar to both Pia and Jaz, almost like they were certain they've seen it before. The woman sat in the lone seat and motioned for the six children, and Scooby Doo, to take theirs as well.

"Now, I'm sure the seven of you know why I'm here?" She asked as dug a small note-pad and a pen from the depths of her purse. When no one answered, she continued. "Well, I'm here to interrogate you as temporary felons under Karyonian law, section V, paragraph 8, line 16. False Identification charges."

"What do you mean false identification, we never even had to bring up who we were with the desk clerk!" Jaz exclaimed.

"You've been accused of impersonating children of our order that are believed to be dead, as well as a major charge in theft of the key to this account from one Stanley Smith." The woman stated calmly as she scribbled note after note on the sketch-pad, the scratching of the tip of her pen as moved along the lines was resonating throughout the room.

"We didn't steal anything," Pia said coldly as she stared the woman down, "Uncle Stan gave us that key before he left yesterday night, he willingly gave us this account and everything entitled to it and you can't say otherwise."

"If what you're saying is positively true, then you won't mind answering me a few questions?"

"Ask." Pia said almost demandingly.

"Where's your sister?"

* * *

"So you're saying we have two sisters, five dogs, soon to be six, two fish, a turtle, four cats, three ferrets, and a cousin named Shaggy who goes around the world solving mysteries with his four friends and visits you for at least one week out of every summer? And somehow you guys always get caught into some kind of unpreventable mystery or struggle?" Stacy asked, slightly bewildered at how much in her life was now suddenly spun upside-down and twisted until it no longer computed in her head. Yet, for an odd reason she couldn't place, she still felt calm about the whole situation?

"Yes, and we also have an uncle named Stan, he's taken care of Pia, me, and Jaz for as long as we can remember." Colby stated as they continued to follow the man through the building.

"So this uncle of your- ours, he just walked out on you guys when he found out you knew something about this whole big mess?" A solemn look crossed over Colby's face and Stacy could tell she had just asked the wrong question to her. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"

"Shh," The man interrupted her. They'd been out of hearing distance of the blaring sirens for a while now, but the girls could only begin to guess where they were, all they could do was trust that this man was there to help them and not hurt them. He was pointing down the hall to signal that someone was rounding the corner soon and would see them. He tapped the wall once and the footsteps stopped and another tapping sequence came from around the corner. The man smiled and signaled it was sage for them to continue walking.

They rounded the corner and were handed off quickly and without word to a woman in all black. She smiled at them and held a finger to her lips before taking a key from the pocket of her jeans and jamming it into the floor. The two girls thought the woman had definitely lost her mind, but then the floor began to move aside and a stair-case was revealed, winding steeply down in a spiral.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter Seventeen:

"You don't have a right to ask us that!" Pia shouted as she jumped from her seat. Shaggy placed a hand on her shoulder as he too stood.

"Look, we don't know what happened to my cousin, alright?" Shaggy's eyes were pleading with the woman to cease such questions to Jaz and Pia.

"I'm sorry. Now, all I want to know is if you can prove you're who you say you are. It's very important that you do." The woman closed her notebook, showing the truce between them. "I'm going to bring in an object each for Pia, Jaz, and Norville. I just want to see your reactions. Please, this is truly important." Shaggy nodded and looked to Pia. For a hard second, she only stood there, staring icily at the woman before her, but she nodded stiffly and took her seat. Jaz nodded as well.

The woman stood and knocked once on the door. It opened and she was handed a wooden case. The door closed once more and she turned back to face the others. She took her seat and opened the box in her lap. First she beckoned Pia to step forward. Grudgingly, Pia obliged and walked over to her.

"Look into the box and tell me if you see something." Pia looked down at the box and looked the objects over. Nothing seemed to catch her eye until she saw it. It was something much, just a silver charm hanging around a chain made for a child's neck. The charm was of a snow flake, small diamonds set into the small points and centers. It was detailed and had a lacey quality to it, almost like the metal had been draped carefully by hand. Pia picked it up carefully and held it delicately in her hands. She felt as though she had seen this before, but the memory was scattered and fuzzy.

"This," She said quietly, "This necklace. I don't know why, but I remember it somehow." The woman nodded and closed Pia's hand around the charm.

"Keep it, it's yours Pia Anna."

"Pia Anna?" Pia asked confusedly. The woman only smiled and motioned for her to take her seat once more. Pia looked at her suspiciously and took her seat. Jaz was motioned to come up next. Jaz walked over and the woman repeated her question to Jaz. Jaz looked over the remaining items with doubt that any would appeal to her. She had given up hope of finding one when she noticed something in the corner of the wooden box that could easily be missed. It was small and round, made up of almost the exact same oak of the box. Jaz picked it up and examined it. It was only the size of her thumbnail, and appeared to have no opening at all. She held it up closer and realized that it had small carved writing on it. She looked to the woman and a spark of familiarity flowed through her. She couldn't place it, but something was in common between this small wooden ball and that woman in her memory.

"This," Jaz said, holding up the ball in clearer sight, "I choose this." The woman nodded and told Jaz that she may keep it. She then called up Shaggy. He gulped and and stood up nervously, tugging at the collar of his green sweater. He walked over and waved slightly at the woman who hid a giggle at his nervousness.

"Choose an item from the box," She repeated to him. He looked into the box, five items were left inside. He looked over each one and tried to find some meaning behind at least one. He saw nothing behind any of them, that is until he saw something he couldn't believe. There it was, his old Commander Cool and Mellow Mutt manual! He picked it up and smiled at the memories he had with Scooby and the gang. And how Pia, Colby, and Jaz would always try to tag along if they could! He smiled bigger at the memory of Jaz always siding with Freddie on the monster being Red Herring, or how Colby and Pia never seemed to mind going off with himself and Scooby to the kitchens.

"You remember?" The woman asked as she brought him back to the present.

"Yes," Shaggy nodded, "I do." 


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter Eighteen:

The woman closed the wooden box and set it gently on the floor beside her chair before she stood. She replaced her coat on and walked over to the box of evidential pictures that the key had delivered to the gang. She stooped down to the ground and poured over each picture, a deep hurt flashing slightly over her eyes. She heard footsteps behind her as she was being approached. She stood and straightened her coat, turning to face two older men in security suits.

"Agent 451, you're needed in sector B at HQ, boss says it could be something important. Something you should be there to see." One of the men told her, handing her a cell-phone.

"Boss wants you to call Agent 514, says you need to talk to him." The other man told her. The two men turned and left the room, bolting the door behind them.

"Well," The woman returned her attention to the gang, "You'll need to come with me."

"Give us one good reason before we follow you anywhere." Fred stepped forward. "We want to know what we're getting into here first."

"I don't know for sure what HQ wants, but believe me, it's in your personal benefit. I can't explain much now, but-" The phone in her hang began to ring, "If you'll excuse me a moment." She turned away from them and answered the phone. "Hello?"

"Agent 451, figured I'd be talking with you at one point today," The voice on the other end of the line was gruff and masculine in tone, "What's your position?"

"Nome 483, the Swiss International Bank. I have approximately six minors and a canine with me."

"Six minors? Where the hell did you get six minors from!"

"They found the key, it's them." She cut him off before he could say anything. "Look, the boss wants at HQ, meet me there in approximately twenty minutes, alright?" She hung up before he could continue.

"Nome?" Shaggy asked confused. "Like, I thought this was a bank?"

"Nome as in area Shaggy." Velma clarified to him.

"Yes, now please, come with me."

"No, we need our reason first." Fred stood his ground in front of the others.

"Your reason is your safety. Where I'm taking you, you'll be under the most high-tech security developed thus so far. Besides, we may have just found your cousin." 


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter Nineteen:

Colby and Stacy followed the woman in black down the spiral stair, the trap-door sliding shut with a click above them. There was no way of turning back from their decision. They continued downward, every once in a while being stopped to listen for noise above. They seemed to walk forever, and it appeared the stair would not end anytime soon. At one point along the way, a rat had scampered it's way past them, causing Stacy to jump and nearly knock Colby down the steps. Luckily, Colby managed to grab the rail, saving herself the painful way of going down. 'Sorry,' Stacy mouthed as they continued down.

About an hour later, they finally reached the end of the stairway. Ahead of them was a large stone door cut out of the natural underground stone. The woman pressed her hand to the door and it automatically swung backward to reveal a barren stone room with another stone door facing them from the other end. The woman ushered them inside, locking them in without her. Across the way, the stone door slid to the side and a familiar face walked through.

"Nice to see you made it out alive, kid."

"You know, you never told me your name. You can't just give a girl a gun without telling her your name." Colby smiled. She had determined they were neutral friends.

"For now, you can call me Sam." He walked further in and the door slid closed behind him. "I see Vienna took you down the long way."

"I see you got shot," Colby said, nodding to his bandaged, blood-soaked arm.

"It's only a scratch. I've been worse." Behind him the door slid back open and an Italian woman walked through.

"Il signore, sede centrale mi ha autorizzato per l'informare che lei è avuto bisogno di immediatamente. Il capo dice che è molto importante per lei. Dice per portare questo telefono e chiama Agente 451." She spoke in rapid Italian. Sam seemed to understand however as he received a cell-phone from the woman.  
"Ringraziarla Juliette, lei potrebbe partire." He responded quickly, waving her off with his hands. Without turning back to the girls, he flipped the phone open and dialed a number, holding it closely as he could to his ear. His whispers reverberated throughout the room, but by the time the girls heard them, they were indecipherable. He hung up the phone and swore beneath his breath.

"We have a little bit of an unplanned trip to take girls."

"Where exactly does this little 'unplanned trip' take us?" Colby asked.

"To HQ of Karyon. Hope you don't mind flying."

"Flying where?" She was a tad bit suspicious.

"Karyon Village, Greece." 


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter Twenty:

Pia was pensive at the thought that this woman may lead her back to her sister, but she also knew that if she could, it may well be her best chance at ever seeing her again. No way was she going to lose anybody else from her life completely. She nodded and in turn, the others had as well. The woman picked up her purse and took out small hand-held device, she typed in a serial code and the machine began printing off laminated ID cards. She handed one each to everyone, including Scooby Doo whose ID was in the form of a dog tag.

"These will allow you access to our private airlines." She explained. Pia looked down at her idea. It read, 'Pia Anna Piontkowitz.' She held up Jaz's and examined it as well. 'Jasmine Rose Leanda Yates.'

"Excuse me, why the fake last names?" She asked confusedly. "If they're your private flights, why do we need fake last names?"

"Believe me, you'll thank me later." Pia looked and Jaz and she just shrugged at the confusing statement. "Now, we'll go back to your home, pack up your animals, pack your suitcases, and take whatever else you may need. Need being my strong word."

"You're letting us take our animals with us?" Jaz asked.

"Of course, you consider them a part of your family, do you not?"

"Yes, we do."

"Then come on, we don't have much time. Our flight leaves in two hours exactly."

* * *

Sam re-opened the sliding door and Stacy and Colby followed him through and across a room filled with Area 51 worthy technologies and decor. There were things floating in jars that Colby didn't even want to know existed in this world. He led them to an elevator and they stepped inside after he inserted his access-key.

"Where does this elevator go?" Stacy asked as the doors clicked shut.

"To the main floors where you came down from."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Colby was a bit miffed. "There was an elevator!" Sam only smiled and shook his head.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter Twenty-One:

It took them ten minutes and several miles over the speed limit to reach the house. Pia and Jaz rushed up to the bedroom they shared with Colby, each grabbing their travel back-packs and stuffing clothes and important books as well as other paraphernalia they deemed important, the objects that they received from the woman tucked neatly between folds of clothing. Pia looked over towards Colby's bed and at the last minute grabbed her bag and filled it with objects and clothes she was most certain her sister was missing, including the three pictures she kept on her nightstand. One of the three of them together, one of them with their uncle on Christmas Day and one of their parents on their wedding day.

Next, they rushed to the study and Pia put Lulu the turtle in a pet-box given to her by the driver and began to put the fish in a portable tank. Jaz busied herself gathering up two crates, one with the ferrets and one with two of the cats, and getting them into the back of the limo. The gang was outside gathering their bags from the Mystery Machine, which was going to be transported to HQ later. The woman was helping gather all five of the dogs into dog crates and setting them carefully in the back of the limo with the four cats, the turtle, and the fish already inside. Jaz was just placing the ferrets inside as well when Fred gave the ok for all of the luggage being in place in the trunk.

They all piled in and once the door was closed, the driver slammed on the gas and they lurched forward at very illegal speeds, only taking them five minutes of the normal twenty minute drive to the airport. They rushed inside and checked the animals in with their luggage, practically running through security and to their gate with an hour to spare for lunch at the airport's McDonald's stand.

As they ate their lunch, Pia and Jaz exchanged nervous glances at each other and put off asking anything and focused on finishing their fries. It seemed an eon, but the flight attendant had finally announced that women and children could now board the flight to Karyon. They gathered up their travel bags and single-filed walked through the wooden walkway and onto the plain. The seats were three to each side, leaving them to occupy the first few rows. Pia and Jaz sat together, their bags between their feet, with the last seat in their row empty. Across from them Shaggy, Velma, and Scooby occupied the row, leaving Fred, Daphne, and the woman to sit behind them.

Once everyone was on board and the safety video played, the flight attendant announced that they would now be taking off and to remain seated. Jaz began taking deep breaths. Though they traveled a lot, Jaz was still slightly afraid of heights. Pia took her hand and allowed her to clench it in a death grip as the plane took off with minor turbulence. It would be a full three hour flight.

* * *

They stepped out of the elevator and were led down various halls and empty rooms until they reached the outside of the building. In the elevator, they had changed clothes and Stacy and Colby were given false identification tags. As far as anyone knew, they were cousins and Sam was their uncle. Colby's hair had been pinned up in the back to disguise it's telling length; not many girls had hair that reached passed their lower backs.

"Now remember, Stacy you're ten and Colby, you're twelve. We're here for family day on the twelfth floor, but Stacy got sick and we're going home. Got it?" They both nod and they head towards the final gate out. A guard is standing there idly, fingering his badge in obvious boredom. He spots them and straightens up stiffly.

"How may I help you sir?" He asks officially.

"My cousin here is sick and wants to go home. We were here for family day, my dad works on the twelfth floor."

"Let me see your visitors passes." Colby and Stacy hold them up for the man to see. "Rain Elizabeth Halliwell and Karly Jane Louisan? Odd names... are you American?" Sam nods silently and shows the guard his own ID. "Samuel McAdams?" Sam nods. The guard gets a suspicious look, but let's them pass. As they walk away, he goes to remove his walkie-talkie. He gets a horrified look when he realizes it's not there. Instead, he removes a slip of paper.

'You shouldn't talk so much, leaves plenty of time to remove your gun, take your walkie-talkie, and place a knock-out gas bomb in your pocket. Oh and by the time you read this, it should be going off,  
- Sam'


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two:

An hour into the flight, Jaz and most of the others had taken to sleep. Shaggy stood and walked over to Pia, taking the still empty seat next her. "Like, hey." He said as he sat down. "Couldn't sleep either?" Pia nodded mutely and took out her ear-phones. "We're gonna get her back." No response. "She's strong. Like, remember when you guys had that cancer scare? She made it through that, didn't she?" No response. "What about when she broke her leg falling out of the tree?"

"She didn't break her leg, she broke her arm. She fell on me and broke my leg." Pia corrected him halfheartedly. "And besides, this isn't the same thing. That was a broken arm, this, this is life or death, or worse. For all of us." Shaggy sighed dispiritedly, he tried. He looked over at her eyes and he could see tears that had been kept in from the moment their uncle had left. He pulled her over and held her tight as the tears spilled into his favorite green shirt and onto his chest below. He wished he could tell her everything would be all right and mean it with all the truth he had, but he knew he couldn't.

The moments passed and he felt Pia go a bit limp in his embrace, he looked down and saw that she had cried herself to sleep. He moved her back into her seat and placed a pillow behind her head. He gave her a kiss on the forehead and whispered 'sorry' before he moved back to his seat next to Velma, Scooby twitching in his sleep by the aisle. Velma moved in her sleep and rested her head on Shaggy's shoulder. He smiled and leaned his head over hers.

Behind them, Fred and Daphne were talking in hushed tones. "Are you absolutely sure Daph?" His voice was worried and deep in the whisper. Daphne nodded silently.

"I'm sorry Freddie," She whispered, "I'm sorry." Fred groaned and rubbed his temple.

"How Daph?"

"Well, remember that night headquarters when Velma was at her house and Shaggy and Scooby were out to pizza?" She looked down. "Remember when we were alone..."

"Daph, we can't do this... you're sixteen!"

"We've gotta tell your dad and my parents."

"Dad's gonna kill me." Fred groaned again under his breath and the woman stirred in her disturbed sleep. The woman was dreaming of the past she had forgotten. Memories that had faded long ago were again at the surface of her mind, washing over her. In front, Shaggy watched as Velma woke up with the sudden turbulence. She had a swimming headache and her body throbbed.

"Like, are you alright Velms?" She nodded and leaned her head against the window, removing her glasses and rubbing her amber-chestnut eyes. On her arm she noticed that she had given herself a deep bruise, though from where, she had no clue. Shaggy looked at her worriedly and she smiled, pulling her sleeve down over the bruise and replacing her head on his shoulder and her glasses on her face. Shaggy stole a quick glance towards Pia and Jaz.

Pia had shifted in her sleep and now slept in a curled up ball, her rainbow-colored back-pack now topped with a pair of mismatched converse sneakers. Beside her, Jaz too curled up and their heads leaned against each-others. He turned back to Velma, but she was fast asleep too. This was going to be a much longer flight than he had suspected.

Another hour passes and Velma is still asleep, Daphne and Freddie had taken to uneasy sleep in the row behind them. Shaggy hadn't slept in nearly two days. The woman had woken and was reading quietly. Across the aisle, Pia had woken and was talking to Jaz.

"I can't believe what we've gotten ourselves into in three days." Jaz said as she turned to face her sister completely. Pia nodded. "What're you thinking about?'

"Just memories." Pia answered, looking down and fiddling with her ear-phones. "Can I see something?"

"Sure, what?"

"Your lap-top, it has all of our home-movies right?" Jaz nodded, already digging out her sky-blue computer. She handed it to Pia and Pia logged in, finding the movies. She placed her ear-phones in the computer connector and handed a bud to Jaz. She clicked play and a new video they had never seen replaced the one they had tried to watch.

On screen, a little toddler with odd, mixed colored hair came up on the screen. Pia and Jaz smiled as another toddler with curled hair came on too and nearly knocked the other over. Off-screen a woman laughed and the camera moved to show a pregnant woman. She held out her arms and the two toddlers wobbled over. The woman kissed each on the head and pointed for them to look at the camera. The toddler-aged Colby turned and started walking over, tripping over a cat and falling face-first.

"This is going to be a long year," A man off-screen laughed, "Just picture when little Jasmine starts walking!" The camera was set down and a man appeared on-screen. "Come on Colby," He smiled, sitting cross-legged and putting the toddler in his lap. Behind him the woman was smiling and Pia was asking questions. Colby, more interested in Pia's questions walked over.

"Baby?" Pia moved her hand on their mother's extended belly. Pam nodded.

"Baby who?" She asked them.

"Jaz mine!" Colby shouted. The man and woman laughed.

"Jasmine, dear," The woman got out, "Jaz-min."

"Yasmine?" Pia questioned. Before the tape continued the screen went blank and another clip played. This showed a Colby with longer and darker hair and a Pia that was half-asleep. A one-year-old Jasmine sat in a car-seat and Colby was shaking Pia awake.

"Pi! Pi! They're here! WAKE UP!" Colby jumped up and Pia, who had been leaning on her shoulder fell to the ground.

"That's one way..." She mumbled before getting up and racing after Colby. A large group of people emerged from a fence and their mother was on-screen quieting a screaming Jaz who had fallen out of her car-seat. In the corner of the yard Colby, Pia and twelve other children were sitting together. In front, the adults talked.  
"Uncle Stan!" The present Jaz whispered. Pia nodded and they turned their head back to the screen.

"Two years old already, huh Brother?"

"Yea, I can't believe it either, where's Pete?" The man whom they assumed was their father asked. "I thought he said he was going to be here today?"

"You know Peter, he's probably gotten himself all caught up in things he ought to leave be at HQ." Their uncle stated. The gate opened again and two adults and a young boy walked in. "Hey there Lucille!" Their uncle walked off to greet them, and again the screen went blank and one more clip followed. This time it was Christmas and the date was December 25th, 1998. In only nine months, their father would go missing, their mother in only a week.

Pia and Colby were in Mystery Five pajamas and were reaching for their stockings that hung upon the mantel. Their mother sat to the side on the carpeted floor with a sleepy Jasmine who now had dark red curls in her growing hair. She was two, which meant that Pia and Colby were both two turning three in a matter of two months. They were all laughing and smiling. Pia and Colby had taught Jaz how to play with her spinning top and how to play old maid with them. Their mother and father had laughed and kissed. The screen went blank. The next clip was of their father.

"My darling girls," He spoke affectionately, "By the time you will receive this video message, you'll be grown, have families of your own probably; and absolutely no idea who I am. My name is Andrew James Smith, and I am your father. There is a lot that your uncle has most likely kept from you for me over the years. I know he has taken you off to Germany. However, you are Greek by blood and American born. You were born as a generation of Karyon, our heritage, our land. You were born to be leaders and to act on problems in secrecy to the outside world, but inside, you were born to fight and protect our village, and our world.

"You were born in nome 2, the Buffalo sector. The entire NY sector. You were born with determination in your veins and power beyond what you may know in your souls. You have been destined to save our world and solve a mystery too painful for me to unravel and left under Karyon law for you. Do well my daughters and know that your mother, wherever she may be, and I will always have you in our hearts." He looks down in deep reminiscence, a look of deep pain flashing through his eyes. "In fact," He says quietly, "You never left." He stops leaning against his desk and walks off screen, the computer screen goes blank and there are no more clips left to be played.

Meanwhile, Shaggy watched with a curious expression towards his cousins. He steals a look behind him at the woman that was taking them to her headquarters. She wasn't reading, he could tell that she was faking. She seemed lost in her eyes and thinking deeply. He looks back to Velma and sees that she is stirring awake again. She looks in a great amount of pain as she sits up right. Beside him, Scooby Doo looks over his shoulder with the same uneasy expression of his loveable puppy face.

"Like, it's nothing guys..." She says weakly. Shaggy is super worried now. Not ever has he heard her say like at the beginning of a sentence unless it fit grammatically. He sank further in his seat. He knew this could only ever get worse before anything got better. 


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter Twenty-Three:

Colby and Stacy were breathless as they ran down the streets after Sam. He couldn't use his agency car now he had revealed his position as a double-agent to the base. They round a corner and hop into the nearest car, Sam already hot wiring the engine. He gunned it and drove at full speed in the stolen Mercedes Benz. He makes deadly sharp turns as he leads them to a destination only he knows. In a matter of minutes, the scenery changes and they are in the country-side of Germany. Large, open fields flood the sides of the roads, every now and then a mountain far off in the distance. They were near the Alps. A far enough way from home.

Along the way small cottages dot the land with barns somewhere behind them, cows grazing in the open fields, not a fence in any sight. After four hours of driving, it's late and they are all tired and hungry. Sam parks the Mercedes at a seemingly empty cottage and they all jump out, inspecting the insides of the house from the windows and sides. They declare it abandoned and Sam picks the lock, letting them all in. They make a fire and crowd around it, soaking up the warmth. Sam falls asleep and Colby drapes a blanket from a nearby sofa over him. She turns to Stacy who is staring at the soles of her tennis shoes, a look of conflicting thought on her face.

"You know," She says quietly, almost comprehensively, "I thought I was normal. Then all of sudden I'm abducted, I'm not my mother's child, I have three sisters and a full set of relatives I know nothing about and an entire fleet of people trying to kill me, or capture me, whatever. I thought I was normal." Colby nods.

"It's not a full set you know," Colby says it just as quietly, "It's broken in a lot of ways, especially now. Mind you though, we may be broken, but we're strong." Colby stares into the flickering fire, the crimson flames dancing over her now dark green eyes. "You know, when we were little, it was just us. Uncle Stan, Pia, Jaz, and me. I never told my sisters, but I remember the day we were given to our uncle. I never heard their talk, but I watched him walk away. I believed our uncle when he told me it was all ok, that dad was going to come back one day. He told us he died a week later. My sisters cried, and I tried to. But, I just couldn't find it in me. I felt he'd abandoned us and I was more concerned with keeping what I had left. I guess that's why we're strong. When you have nothing left in the world, it makes you remember what you had, and protect what you have. I had my sisters. I lost them." Stacy had looked up at one point during Colby's speech.

"What about your cousins?" She was completely facing her now. "Don't they count?"

"Norville and Maggie, don't get me wrong, I love them with all my heart, but it's hard to feel I've ever had them." Stacy nodded. In an almost indecipherable voice, she whispered;

"You have me..." And with that Stacy layed down and closed her eyes. Colby still staring off into the abyss of the flames. 

* * *

The flight landed in Karyon International and they received their baggage and were ushered into a large taxi cab. The taxi took them to a small business building. They piled out and were taken inside. The building had one room and all of the walls were painted a dull gray of stone. A set of elevator doors were the only thing in the room. The woman walked up and pressed a series of digits into the side-panel and the doors slid open. It was a tight squeeze, but they managed to fit with their luggage inside of the compartment space. The woman pressed the button for the sixty-eighth floor. She grabbed the side-bar.

"I would hold on if I were you." The elevator began to plummet and Pia quickly attached herself to Jaz and Shaggy to them forming a big, screaming, group hug. All of a sudden they were stopped with a jerk and the doors slid open easily.

"Like, was that really necessary?" Shaggy asked breathlessly. The woman smiled and smoothed down her hair, leading the way out and down a narrow hall. All along the walls were depictions of famous Greek mythological events and Gods. At the end of the hall a large room opened out and a banner hung from the far wall. The banner depicted the symbol of the Greek goddess Athena, a wise owl with sharp eyes that clutched the spear of Triton in it's talons and around it's neck hung a medallion with the symbol of Zeus inscribed upon it. Inscribed below was, 'σε μόνο σας να είστε αληθινός,' to thine own self be true.


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter Twenty-Four:

When they woke up, Sam went through the house and managed to find some clothes for himself and the girls to change into. Colby looked down at her outfit. It was a traditional German dirndl. It had thick red straps that led into a red dress with a white strip that traced the outline of the corset and braided silver laces that tied it up. Along the bottom a fancy print of swirling lines spun around and underneath the dress she wore a blouse with small puffy sleeves that covered her shoulders and ruffles of petticoats underneath the skirt.

"You can not be serious? This thing was around before there even was a Germany!"

"Well, it's all they had, kid." Sam said as he stared down at his lederhosen that were just a bit tight. "I'm not exactly thrilled either." Stacy walked in then wearing a blue frock with white lace floral depictions along the hem.

"I kinda like it," She smiled, "Makes me feel like an actress."

"Alright so we all have something about the clothes, let's move on." Sam said as he moved towards the kitchen. He looked around the wooden shelves and pulled off the dust-covered jars and placed them on the table. "Look at those and tell me if their any good, I'm gonna go up and grab us some blankets and pillows, maybe some other stuff. Stacy, there's a cellar, when you finish with the jars you and Colby need to go down there and see if anything to eat is salvageable." He ran off upstairs, slightly bowlegged from the lederhosen.

Colby and Stacy began inspecting the jars. Colby tried to open one by hand but it was clay and rock solid. She held it tight and banged the lid against the table, smashing the lid open. Inside were age-old peaches in preservative juice. Colby took a whiff, it smelled like a peach left out in the hot sun and felt sticky. Colby shrugged and set it aside. The rest of the jars contained seasonings and certain vegetables that were no longer good. They ventured down into the cellar which was dug out of the Earth and supported by many a wooden beam. It was empty save a chest in the corner. They went over and tried to read what was engraved in the metal lock, but the darkness of the cellar made it impossible. Stacy went upstairs and returned with a candle stump and a match. They lit it and held it up to the lock.

"_'Inside lie treasures to behold," _Colby read aloud.  
_"'Aged in longing and hilded Gold,'" _Stacy continued in wonderment._  
"'Be warned though hunter of tales of yore,'"  
"'Look not ahead, but behind for what your future stores.'" _Colby turned the lock over in her hand, it was rusted and old but held sturdy. "Go get Sam, I think he found some pliers in the glove department last night." Stacy nodded and ran up the stairs calling out for Sam. A moment later they came back and Sam was carrying a large pair of cutters. He nodded for Colby to move aside and she allowed him to see the lock by the candle light. He placed the handle of the lock between the blades and pressed down with all his might. A few seconds passed and the lock remained in tact.

"We'll take it with us, get upstairs and get in the car. He hefted the trunk up and onto his shoulder, keeping it locked in place with one arm and they walked up the steps single-filed. They placed the chest into the trunk of the Mercedes and Sam jumped behind the wheel. Colby and Stacy took a blanket and curled up in the back and they were off.

The next time that they stopped was when they had reached the nearest village. Sam went off and got them all modern day clothing and supplies while Colby and Stacy went to the local bakery and other shops in search of food with the money that Sam had managed to find for them. As they exited the bakery and made their way to a produce store Colby noticed a man that had a kitten trapped in a cage much too small for it. Beside it was a large simmering pot and the man kept sizing up the kitten. Colby ran over and took the cage. The man smirked.

"That's my dinner! Find your own!" He shouted.

"I'll buy her from you." Colby said digging out the money. "Here, take fifty dollars!" The man snatched the money and Colby ran back to Stacy with the kitten.

"That's nice, but Sam's gonna kill you." She laughed as she carefully removed the kitten from the cage and Colby threw it in the nearby garbage. "She's so cute though, what should we name her?"

"I don't know, but we better go get the rest of the food before Sam finds out." Colby began walking towards the produce. "We still have forty dollars left." When they finished at the store Sam was rushing over to them with clothing and bags in each arm. He stopped dead in his tracks.

"What. Is. That?" He demanded, pointing to the purring kitten in Stacy's arms.

"I had to," Colby defended herself, "He was going to eat it!" Sam shook his head.

"Fine. We keep it. But it's yours, never mine. Got it?" They nod. He shoves a bag at them. "Go get dressed and meet me at the car." They nod and head towards the nearest local bathroom. While they were getting dressed Sam inspected the area watchfully from his position leaning on the Mercedes. He knew they were being followed, but where he had no idea.

* * *

As soon as they were inside of that room was as soon as they were out. It was getting dark and the girls, including Velma and Daphne were placed in a large, dorm-like room with bunk beds. The boys were across the hall with Scooby. The walls were made of cold hard metal and the bunk bed bars were made of steel that chilled your skin to the touch. The mattresses were hard and lumpy and the blankets were thin. They got changed into pajamas and sat on the bottom-bunk together, huddled closely with a Power-Puff Girls blanket from Colby's bed that Pia had gotten for her wrapped around them. They began talking.

"I can't believe we're in this mess." Daphne said through chattering teeth.

"Sorry, it's kinda our fault." Pia said as she wrapped her arms around her knees and hugged them close up.

"Oh, I wasn't talking- never mind. It's nothing."

"Well, it can't possibly be worse than my news, Daph." Velma spoke up. "My Leukemia, it's back." Her voice is a whisper.

"What?" Daphne looks at her. "Jeepers, and here I was thinking my world's gone to pieces."

"All of our worlds have gone to pieces lately," Jaz says quietly, "I'm sorry." She says it more to a place deep in her mind than to Velma or Daphne.

"What's the matter with you Daph?" Pia asks in whispers herself.

"I'm pregnant with Freddie." She looks down and starts crying and Velma wraps her arms around her so that Daphne is crying in the crook of her neck. Pia and Jaz join into the hug as well and it feels as though they are all comforting each other. For the first time they realize they have more than they thought they had. For the first time they had each other.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Colby looked herself over in the mirror. Sam had done good by her book. She was wearing a black petticoat skirt and a white linen shirt beneath a black, pin-striped jacket the cut off at her elbow with white linen cuffs. The scoop was low but the linen shirt covered her. Around her neck was a collar with the Jack Skellington tie on front. In her hair was a black bow with a skull in the center, she assumed she was posing as a gothic. She looked at Stacy. She was wearing a light blue button down blouse and a beige skirt with white heels, in her hair was a black head-band. She was made to look like an honor roll student. She was trying desperately to braid her hair.

"Here," Colby said, coming up behind her, "I'll braid your hair." She took Stacy's hair in her hands and began dividing it into three. "Thank you by the way." Colby was beginning to do the ins and outs of the twisting patterns. Stacy gained a look of understanding.

"You don't have to be so strong you know." She says quietly as Colby is braiding. Colby finishes and ties the end off with a white hairband.

"Oh, but I do." Colby says quietly as she turns to leave, the heels of her knee-high, leather boots clinking on the bathroom floor behind her as she walked. Meanwhile Sam was still watching the crowds. He saw Colby walking out of the bathroom at the same moment that he saw the man with the gleaming knife grab her and take her around the corner. He ran over and darted into the alley. His hand on the dagger that he had bought. The alley was a dead-end and deserted. He swore underneath his breath and kicked the dirt around him. He saw Stacy looking around the corner and the moment he looked at her was the moment that she covered her mouth and looked down, her braid falling to the side as silent tears streaked down her cheek.

* * *

At the headquarters in Karyon, Shaggy heard a knock on the door at three in the morning. Fred was sound asleep so he stood and tip-toed to the door. He opened it and there was Velma, looking at the floor in a satin orange robe and one arm wrapped around her stomach. "Like, hey Velms, what's the matter?" He asks.

"Shaggy, I need to talk with you. It's rather important." He nods.

"Of course, V." He steps into the hall and closes the door quietly behind him. As soon as they are alone Velma begins to cry. Shaggy, shocked, brings her into his arms and holds her tightly, rubbing her back and whispering soothing nothings. "I-It's back Sh-Shaggy. It's back." She manages to get out and he hugs her tighter upon understanding.

"It's okay Velms," He says in sweet whispers, "We'll get through this. I promise. This will just be a nightmare."

"Shaggy, I'm scared." Her voice is broken as she says this.

"No, Velma, no." Shaggy says as he continues to comfort her. "This is just another monster to unmask, you know this."

"I know Shaggy, but I'm just so afraid this time around." He nods and continues to rub her back and hold her close as her tears stain his green pajamas. She's getting tired, he can feel it in her grip on him.

"Are you going to be alright, Vel?" He asks her, pulling away to look at her face. She adjusts her glasses.

"Shaggy, could I-" He cuts her off with a nod and takes her hand, caressing it with his thumb. They laid down on his bed together in the top bunk and Shaggy held her close as she closed her eyes, still trembling slightly from the cold and her tears. He kissed the top of her head and she smiled shakily. "Thanks, Shaggy." She whispers and snuggles closer to him, wrapping her own arms around his lean frame. "I needed that."


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Five:

Sam and Stacy drove until it was well into the night. They had not spoken a word to each other since Colby's kidnapping. Sam pulled into a driveway and stepped out, staring at a slightly crooked house with multiple colors racing along it's sides that had a certain charm, that you just had to feel it was magic by just looking at it. Stacy moved to stand beside Sam. Without checking out the house, Sam went up and turned the doorknob; the door was already open. They stepped inside and the house was eerily dark.  
They were in a dining room, pictures and paintings donned the deep blue walls. The room was trashed, obviously ransacked. Stacy stepped through it, watching for the broken glass and debris. Sam was going upstairs, seemingly knowing his way around the home. He made his way into a large study and froze, Stacy watching behind him. He seemed to be in remembrance, his eyes fogged over and misty, somewhat like that of a blind man.

"Sam," Stacy called out to him, "Sam, are you alright?"

"Years pass, and you think that God, if there ever was one, will show himself to his creation, help them, save them. Years pass and memories, memories fade. You forget who you are, you forget where you came from. You," He falters and Stacy continues to watch him fervently, "You forget things that make you feel pain, or sorrow for the world, for yourself." He turns to look at Stacy. "You forget all of the things that made you, all because you want to forget all you left. All the pain that you left. The years pass, and you forget who you are, no, you forsake who you are for your own self-conscious. You want to die forgetting all you've done, and with the honor of nobility to the world, but you can never truly forget what made your soul. You can never truly forget what killed you long before your body aged and died. You die a shell, you die worthless. I've forsaken who I am for a life that means nothing. I was fearless once, had the world. Had a love, a desire, a passion, had a skill. I left it to be nothing but a damned puppet and every night I shout the answer to the heavens I regret never having given. 'Yes! Damn it, a thousand times yes!'" He looks at Stacy. "There's so much I want to take back, so much I missed being. So much I gave up."

"Sam-"

"Go." He looks away from her. She takes a step toward him.

"Sam, I can help." She reaches towards him with a tentative hand.

"Go." She retracts her hand. "I'll meet you downstairs." She stands there a moment before stepping back. At the door she stops and whispers, "You don't have to forget to remember." Sam stares at her as she walks off. She starts down the stairs and reaches the second floor landing, she makes her way down the hall to go down the last flight to the first floor, but an ajar door catches her eye. It's painted a lilac purple, but inside the walls are painted to look like a hazy mist of orange. Almost as if you were dreaming the color. It had three beds, each stripped bare of their dressings. Across the way from the door was a large Peter Pan styled window with a double-door window and a seat. Discarded on the floor was a broken frame to a picture lying face down. Stacy stooped carefully to the floor and picked it up slowly, brushing the glass aside. She hissed slightly as a piece snagged her finger and left a scarlet trail running down her index finger of her left hand. She shook the frame and a picture slid out from the glass that had managed to stay in its desired place. She picked it up and turned it over. Staring at her was a group of three teenaged girls, all three tangled up in a giant knot inside of a Mystery Five blanket, wrestling it to get out, laughing all the same.  
She scanned their faces, the last one struck her. It was Colby. She was smiling and still had braces in her teeth. Her eyes were glowing; she was happy. Stacy felt herself smile a bit at the image. This was the first time she had ever seen Colby truly happy. That's when she realized whose house she was in. She was in Colby's house, and Sam, Sam had taken her there.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven:

The next morning Pia and Jaz awoke to find Velma already up and getting dressed, Daphne just stirring awake herself. "Good morning," Velma said as she finished straightening out her orange button-down shirt, "How did you sleep last night?" Pia stretched and stood, grabbing her bag and flipping through it for fresh clothing.

"As good as it gets here." She says as she pulls out her clothes and tosses Jaz her backpack so that she too can get dressed.

"Have you been up all night? I thought I heard you open the door last night." Jaz says as she pulls her t-shirt over her head. Velma sets her brush down and gathers her hair up in her hands, which has now reached just past her shoulders, and ties it off in a pony-tail, letting her bangs stay in front.

"I just went out to talk with Shaggy, that's all." Pia comes up beside her in front of their cracked mirrors and begins to brush through her tangled hair.

"Mmhmmm." She hums teasingly. Velma smiles and moves away from the mirror, allowing Daphne to step in freshly dressed to braid her hair. Velma sits on the mattress at the same time that their door opens and the woman who had brought them here steps inside.

"When the four of you are done getting dressed, I'll be escorting you to the breakfast hall, it seems there has been a slight delay in plans." Her voice is authoritative, but her eyes show disappointment. "I'll be in the hall when you're dressed." She steps out and the four of them look at each other for a moment before finishing getting dressed. They step out into the hall and Fred, Shaggy, and Scooby are all already out there. In silence they follow the woman down the many stone corridors and pathways, sometimes having to duck underneath low-hanging tapestries that blocked the halls. They are brought into a large meeting room with a round table in the center at which only one man sits. Her gestures for them to take their seats. His face is not visible beneath the shadows of his hat.

Once they are all seated, he speaks. "As you know Agent Louvre, Agent Conlan has not fulfilled his civic duty of returning two of our most powerful members to our court. Instead, he is late, and not only that disgrace measures to the one of allowing one of them to be kidnapped in his presence." The woman nods. "He will arrive here in the afternoon, when he gets here I will expect you to be going after his lost charge with him." The woman snaps her head in his direction.

"I thought we'd agreed, I work alone from now on!" The man smiles from beneath the shadows.

"No objections Miss Louvre, but I do believe you follow my orders, and my orders are that you work with Agent Conlan. Now, as for you children, you're going to be sent to the library to do a little research for yourselves." He says no more and the woman stands and stares at him with hard, cold eyes as she ushers them out and down the halls once more.

The woman is silent as she leads them through the halls. The doors to the library are large and made of marble. She presses her hand to it and a voice asks for her to speak her name. "Agent Cecilia Garavoldi Mazzini Louvre." A beep sounds and the doors swing open. Inside are thousands upon thousands of books on shelves that go up to the vaulted ceiling painted to look like the night sky. On the floor are depictions of Greek gods and their symbols, the largest one in the center of the floor being Athena with her owl perched on her shoulder.

They are led to a large wooden table stacked with books and documents. "You are to read all of these over your stay here before we explain anything to you about why you are here. I'll come back for you at noon for lunch, until then I expect you to be pouring over these notes."

"Why should we?" Pia asked her. "What purpose does this serve us? How does this help us get my sister back? How does this help with anything!"

"It tells you your past." The woman walked away without another word and Pia grudgingly picks up the nearest book. There is no title, so she flips the cover open to read the first inscription, 'This is the Diary of Andrew J. Smith.' 


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight:

Sam hasn't slept and it is four am at the house. He has dark circles under his eyes and he stands in the attic. It'd been years since he'd been here. Sixteen years in fact he had spent avoiding the presence of the home that he spent his childhood in with his brothers and sisters. Sixteen years since Peter died. The attic feels reminiscent towards him, pushing memories to the front of his mind that have been suppressed since the day he left and vowed that he never wanted to come back. He looks at the wooden walls that hold every secret of his childhood, on them hang pictures of children. He walks over, his footsteps thundering through the old floorboards. He picks up a dusty picture of six children gathered around a Christmas tree. He feels a tear begin to snake it's way down his cheek. He puts it facedown and looks up into the eyes of Peter in his college cap and gown. He tears his eyes away as a haunting feeling encases him. He couldn't look at Peter, Corrine, Kayla, any of them. No, not after the hell he brought onto them. He hasn't realized it, but he has begun to bang his fists against the wall as images of his deceased family appear in his mind. Peter is mangled and bloody, staring up at him, asking him why.

The door creaks open, and he doesn't comprehend to touch of a small hand on his shoulder as he sobs over his lost life. His fault, his fault, never theirs. They payed for his fault. "Everything," He speaks without realizing, "They lost everything because of me! It was my goddamned fault, not theirs! Damn it, Kayla was only fifteen years old when they murdered her for my damned mistake!" An arm encases him. He looks up at the roof of the attic, seeing only what he can. "Yes! I take everything back! I say yes!" Tears are pouring out of his eyes without fail. A pair of fragile hands take his face in theirs. "Pam?" He whispers. "Pamela, I thought you-"

"I'm not Pam," Stacy whispers to him, "But you're Andrew, aren't you?" Her voice is calm, steadiness in the thundering monsoon of his mind. He nods. She nods and stands, offering her hand to him. He takes it blindly and she helps him stand on his feet. He looks at her.

"I'm sorry." 


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter Twenty-Nine:

It was well past midnight, and still no plane had arrived carrying the other agent who was supposed to have Colby with him. Pia set the diary aside, she'd finished it front to back. Beside her, Jaz lay sleeping with a book on Karyon's past still in her hands. She looked around, everyone had fallen asleep. She picks up the diary and turns it over in her hands. The diary was from the year that their father had 'disappeared.' It said her mother was kidnapped years ago, maybe even still alive. There were countless records of people she'd never heard of in her entire life and how they died because of her father. Aunts, uncles, cousins, friends, even her mother's kidnapping. It was because of him that she was living with Uncle Stan, and because of him that Colby was lost out there somewhere. She felt angry, why though she couldn't place. She didn't know this man, and yet she felt betrayed and hurt by the writings in this diary. She felt like she'd been abandoned.

She looked at the diary for a hard second, her cheeks singed hot, she threw it into the fire. She watched the fire's flames lap the pages into their fiery pit. She watched as her father's handwriting and life diminished in the flames. Behind her, the woman who brought them here touched a gentle hand to her shoulder. "He wasn't a bad man, you know."

"He left me and my sisters. He left us because he decided we weren't important enough to him anymore. How is in any way a good man?" Pia turns and looks up at the woman. "How?"

"There's more to it than that. Your father, he did things. Things that he thought would make the world a better place; a better place for you. However, our order saw these things that your father unleashed as a danger to society. A danger they work hard to keep under-wraps for a reason. Your father loved you."

"So he left us?" The woman sighs and sits on the coffee table facing Pia's sofa.

"No, he removed your names from Karyon's official list. He pronounced you dead. He gave you up so that you could live."

"What?"

"There are things in this world that we live in, Pia. Things that many cannot see, or simply choose not to see. When small children play what we call pretend, and they come running over, talking about fairies and all these creatures they saw. We write it off. We call it child's play, imagination at best." The woman pauses and looks at Pia. She takes a moment before she continues to speak. "You know, when your imagination, is better than reality... all you can do is imagine a better reality."

"What are you talking about?"

"Pia, the world around you has many secrets, some as old as time himself. Things happen in our world that we can't explain. There are things that man has forgotten how to see." Pia looks at her confused. "Close your eyes and remember. Remember when you were a child and the magic that you saw in the world. Remember playing pretend. Now open your eyes." Pia opens her eyes, but nothing has changed. She is about to speak, but she is interrupted. "When you least expect it, but need it most, this world will appear to you. When you expect it, but no longer need it, it will hide and wait until it is needed again." 


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter Thirty:

Andrew and Stacy were on a plane bound for Karyon. They were a day late after being held up at a pit stop on the road. They had been silent ever since he had admitted that he was her father. Stacy turned from her seat by the window to look at him. He had dark circles under his eyes and he still refused to sleep. "You know," She says to him quietly, "You shouldn't underestimate the people around you." He looks up at her and manages a half-smile. "The world's more forgiving than you think... I'm more forgiving than you think." His smile drops for a moment.

"The day they took your mother away from me as a punishment, was the day I began to be like this. I stopped sleeping, eating; just stopped taking care of myself. That's why I gave your sisters to my brother. I couldn't stand it anymore for them to look at me, their father, and see me die in front of them." Stacy sits in silence for a moment with him.

"How did you find out my mother was pregnant with me if they took her away?" The question slips out and she immediately regrets it as a look of utter pain rushes quickly onto her father's face. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean-" He stops her.

"I found out when Stan wrote me a letter from Karyon headquarters. She was with him when she found out herself for the first time; she never got the chance to tell me herself." Stacy nods and they are both silent for the rest of the flight to Greece.

* * *

Back at headquarters Pia and the woman are walking silently together through the stone corridors, each cupping a mug of tea in their hands as they walk. They are going somewhere, though where they do not know. The woman stops and lays her hand on Pia's shoulder, pulling her to sit on a stone bench beside her. "Pia, there is something I must tell you, though I beg you not to tell the others just yet." Pia nods uneasily. A moment of silence happens and the woman seems to be at a loss for words. Pia gives her an encouraging nod and the woman takes a deep breath, a flash of deep pain and perhaps even remorse appears in her eyes; and this time, she doesn't bother to return to nuetral base. "Your sister," She stars out slowly, swallowing hard through the lump that was growing fast in her throat, "Colby, has been pronounced-" She stops to wipe a tear from her cheek that has slipped through the boundaries and look of horror begins to grow on Pia's face as she guesses what will come. "D-Dead this afternoon." All around her, Pia's world slowly crashes around her into an oblivion she did not know could exist. She stands and stares at the woman, slowly backing away in complete and undeniable horror. She turns and bolts down the hall. With her gone, the woman places her face in her palms and begins to sob.

* * *

The plane lands and immediately the two are pulled to the side of the airport by two hooded figures. They are led outside and tossed into a black limo. "What the hell was that for?" Andrew nearly shouts. One of the figures unmasks herself and Andrew calms down a bit. "You know Lu, after all these years I expected a better welcome. I'm shocked." His tone is teasing as the woman sits back, her sandy blond hair tied back in a neat pony, only a few wisps here or there breaking loose of the bond.

"After all these years I thought you'd still be dead. The Land of the Dead didn't please you?" He swallows his laughter.

"Look, I only did what I did because I-"

"Was an idiot better be how you're going to finish that sentence, Andrew James. With all the hell you caused this family, all the hell you put Pam through. And to think, we trusted you on that decision." She stares at him with iron authority and icy glares. "If it weren't for you I'd be Auntie Lucille to this girl like I'm supposed to be, now all I am is Mary Rogers."


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter Thirty-One:

"Look, Lu-" Andrew begins but almost immediately he is cut off by his sister once again.

"No! You took my right to be Lucille Smith away ages ago, Brother. Now, you'll call me Mary, the damned name I've had to use for over fifteen years!" She continues to stare at him icily, never relinquishing her gaze from his eyes.

"Fine. Mary, I'm sorry." She gives a huff of amusement.

"Sorry doesn't cut it, Andrew. Sorry doesn't bring Pam back, sorry doesn't bring Peter back, or Damien, or-"

"I said I was sorry!" He yells at her, deep pain cutting through his eyes at her. "I'm sorry; that's all I can say. I can't bring any of them back and I'm sorry! I'm sorry I was stupid and I'm sorry I cost you your damned name Lu! I'm sorry-" His voice breaks for a moment. Tears sting at his eyes and his voice drops to a whisper. "I'm sorry, okay? I was stupid and I didn't think any of it through." He looks down as he says, "Lu, don't you think that every damned night I was cursed to walk after the first death, the second, the third; don't you think after every damned night I was screaming yes to them?" Lucille drops her gaze to her lap. The limo stops.

"Well, come on, Brother; we're here." Her voice was as much a whisper as her brother's as she steps out of the limo and once more lifts her hood to mask her face. Stacy looks after her, then tentatively she turns to look at her father. He is standing now and out of the vehicle. She steps out and stands beside him. In her head she only has one question, _'What did you do that was so... bad?'  
_

* * *

Pia runs until she stumbles and trips over her own two feet and comes crashing down to the stone-tiled floor. She sits up and hugs her knees to her chest, looking around in tear-filled hazes. Where she is looks all together abandoned. Holes and cracks litter the stone walls at their base and she realizes the roof is entirely missing from above her. She feels a trickle of blood as it snakes its way down her hand. She looks and sees a broken piece of tea mug digging into her skin. She must of crushed the ceramic when she heard the news. She winces and pulls it out quickly, hugging her knees ever tighter.

She'd never even thought about the day when she'd have to live without one of her sisters. Never even thought of hearing the news. The words stuck in her head, but they made no sense to her. Colby pronounced dead... it didn't make sense and she knew it never would. Colby was her sister, a living human sister, and something living cannot be dead. Pia feels her tears as they spill onto her hands that are still wrapped tightly about her knees, holding on for dear stability. She forces herself to look up at her surroundings again. In front of her is a tapestry that on every other day she would have stopped to admire it. It's big and dark, pocked with small white swirls of stars and milky white spirals of star-dust. On the bottom, small fairies have been painted playing and making music. In all respect, it's simple.

She stands and stumbles a bit from stiffness as she compels herself forwards to touch it. It's dusty and worn, but soft and smooth like satin. The touch triggers a memory deep in the conscience of her mind. She is little, and so are her sisters. The memory is shimmery and has a haze surrounding it, like a vision almost. There are other children with them, laughing and playing; some even call out to her like good friends. Beside her is Colby, captivated by something Pia cannot see. She begins to walk away and Pia finally sees and follows her. She has found a small door, only big enough for a child to squeeze through. On it is a carved rose, ornate and painted a deep rose color. Colby pushes the door open and they crawl through a small tunnel together, giggling and laughing as they go. They come to another 'rose' door. Colby giggles and opens it. They climb out into a small room. It's virtually empty, and it takes the girls several moments to notice the small wooden box sitting in the corner of the room. They immediately rush over to it and kneel on the wooden floorboards. It's beautiful dark oak and again, a rose is engraved on the lid. They look at each other and smile before opening it together. Inside, is a beautiful snow-flake necklace adorned with small diamonds in its lace-like web. Next to it, is a beautiful golden headband with a red ruby placed right in its center that came to a downward point.

The girls picked up the objects to examine them closer in their childlike awe at the pretty gems, oblivious to the creak of a door opening behind them. A hand placed itself on Colby's shoulder and the twins turned to face a beautiful woman. She had long honey colored hair that hung gracefully to her lower back. She was dressed in a gorgeous silver gown that hung freely abut her, the sleeves falling gracefully in curtains to the floor. In her hair was a golden reef of branches woven together with detailed leaves. Her eyes were stormy misty gray while her lips were painted gold against her snow-white skin. She smiles kindly down at the awe-struck children, her skin glimmering with glittering star-dust. She picks up the headband from the floor where Colby has dropped it and places it gently on her head so that it lays across her forehead, the point going into the very center with the ruby in place. It shrinks to fit her perfectly and the ruby glows suddenly. Pia gasps and Colby stares in continuous awe at the woman who now turns to Pia, and smoothly takes the necklace from her and placing it around her neck, smiling as she does so. Pia looks down and claps the necklace in her small hands, admiring it before looking up to thank the woman.

The memory breaks and Pia can feel cold chills as she realizes exactly where she is. She throws the tapestry back and a cloud of dust erupts. When it has cleared, she looks and as she was sure there would be, there is a small wooden door, just big enough for a child.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter Thirty-Two:

Pia sits cross-legged on the stone-tiled floor, staring at the door and clutching the snowflake necklace tight in her hand. Soft rays of sunlight were pouring in through cracks in the walls and the nonexistent ceiling. She hasn't moved all night and tear tracks stain her face. Her mind debates whether or not the memory is real, or just a crazed vision brought on by the news of her twin's death. She supposed that spending your whole lives together from the very beginning and having that bond cruelly severed before the true end far in the future would bring strange visions to her. But, in her head she could here Invy and Apps, the voices of her conscious mind, begging her to remember more, telling her they've been waiting for her to remember.

She is still deep in contemplation when she hears footsteps running up behind her on the stone pathways. She doesn't want to be found, but there's only two ways out; and one is blocked by sprinting footsteps. Pia dashes to the door and throws it open, squeezing herself through and crawling into the tunnel. It's a tight fit, but Pia manages to force her way upwards and to the next door. She pushes it open and crams herself through the opening. Once she is through, she doubles herself over with her hands grasping her knees as she stands, trying to regain her breath after the tight squeeze through the tunnel and the second door.

When she looks up, the room is exactly as it was in her vision, the only difference being that it looks more decrepit and old. Cobwebs were everywhere along the ceiling and the wooden floorboards creaked and groaned with the effort to hold her weight. The window was caked with dust so thick, it was near impossible for the light to snake through. A hand clasps her arm from behind her and Pia whirls around, prepared to face whomever dared to come after her through the tunnel. Instead, she has spun to face the woman from her vision, only she too has changed greatly. Pia gasps and holds the snowflake pendant tight in her fist.

The woman's hair has grown silver and reaches to the backs of her knees. Her eyes are now the faded color of morning starlight and hardly glows against her pale-as-moonlight skin. Her lips are pale and colorless, lost of the golden shimmering tint that they once held years ago. The silver reef of branches is no longer in her hair and her once marvelous gown is now a ragged torn mess of fabric draped around her like curtains. "Hello, my darling one." The woman speaks, touching a deathly cold hand to Pia's cheek with a loving look in her eyes. "I've awaited your return for many years." Her voice is slightly fading, like the drop of silk.

"Who are you?" Pia manages to make out.

"Whom am I, the dear one asks." The woman gives a small laugh at the simplicity of the girl's question. "Child, I am the knowledge that lies in your skull and the never-ending determination within your ever-beating heart. My sweet, I am the flowing wisdom that sleeps in the heads of your elders and the strategy that forms from the minds of many a brave soldier." She pauses and cups Pia's face in her freezing palms. "Dear child, I am only me as much as you are you."

"None of those things answer my real question and you know it." Pia says, stepping out of the embrace. "Besides, none of those are even possible."

"But my dear meandering one, you were once one to believe all was possible. What has happened to your marvelous view?"

"Nothing has happened. Everything that was impossible once has already happened and everything possible has now become the opposite." Pia states as it comes to her mind. "If that makes me mad your viewpoint, I can't say I'm very sorry."

"Something has changed in you my duckling, but to answer the outer meaning of your previous question, I go by many names. You may call me simply Irene."

"Well Irene, what was it you wanted of me?"

"Child, it's not what I wanted of you, it's what you wanted from me." The woman takes one of Pia's hands in her own and turns it over. It has dried blood all over it from the unattended wound from the ceramic mug. The woman smiles and waves a hand smoothly over it and Pia yanks her hand away; surprisingly free of both blood and cut.

"What do you mean?" Pia says, returning her focus to the subject at hand. "I want nothing from you!"

"I mean that I only appear when I am needed most by you and your sister." A flash of deep hurt flashes over Pia's eyes at the mention of her twin. "I sense that you have been separated?"

"She was killed."

"No." The woman simply says. "If she were truly dead, my dearest, then I would not be here. Your sister is very much alive."


End file.
